A northern Nigerian pastor on Saturday called for urgent intervention after gunmen attacked a Christian community in Plateau State, killing at least 23 people and leaving several others injured or missing.
Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo said the assault targeted Binper in Mangu Local Government Area and began around midnight on Thursday, lasting more than three hours. Attackers allegedly moved from house to house, forcing their way into homes and attacking residents as they slept.
“I speak to Nigeria and to the entire world with a heart that is deeply broken and with tears that words can hardly explain,” Dachomo said. “On this painful and heartbreaking day a Christian community in Binper, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State has once again been thrown into mourning after a deadly midnight attack that reportedly claimed the lives of at least 23 innocent people. Several others were injured while some residents are still unaccounted for.”
He described the violence as leaving families devastated. “These were not just numbers. These were fathers, mothers, grandparents, children, brothers, sisters and young people. These were human beings created in the image of God,” he said.
Dachomo said survivors were receiving treatment at nearby hospitals but urgently needed further medical care, medicine and support. Displaced residents also required protection and assistance.
“How many more lives must be lost before the world says enough is enough? How many more mothers must bury their children?” he asked. “I am pleading with the world, please do not look away from Binper. Please do not allow these precious lives to become forgotten statistics.”
The pastor appealed to the federal government, the Plateau State government, security agencies, humanitarian organisations, churches and the international community to act swiftly.
“Please protect innocent communities. Please investigate these attacks. Please bring those responsible for killing innocent people to justice. Please help the wounded and displaced,” he said. “The people of Plateau State deserve to live in peace. They deserve to sleep in their homes without fear.”
The incident adds to a pattern of deadly attacks on communities in Plateau State and the wider Middle Belt, where insecurity has repeatedly displaced residents and disrupted daily life. Dachomo urged authorities to establish the full circumstances of the Binper assault, account for those still missing and prevent further violence.
