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From Jude Dangwam, Jos
President of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), Rev Amos Musa Mozho, has warned that Nigeria is at a crossroads and accused the government of downplaying what he described as a deliberate, sustained attack on Christian communities in Nigeria.
Addressing delegates at the opening of the 109 General Church Council (GCC) in Jos, Plateau State, yesterday, the cleric said the Church cannot remain silent when the foundations of justice, security and human dignity are under assault.
“Nigeria stands at a crossroads and as citizens of this nation, and more importantly, as citizens of the kingdom of heaven, we must speak truth to the realities confronting our beloved country,” he said.
The COCIN president alleged that the nation is being trapped in a dangerous cycle of delusion and self-denial of reality while pursuing mere illusions.
“Our country is trapped in a dangerous cycle of delusion and self-denial of reality while pursuing mere illusions. We have become experts at crafting narratives that obscure truth rather than confronting the harsh realities that threaten our national survival,” he said.
He cited his own experience from Borno State to illustrate the ongoing crisis. “Today, my tribe has been driven away from the Guvoko land in Gwoza mountain. For 13 years, I have had no access to my native land.
“Our Christian politicians must understand this sobering truth; the church is under deliberate, sustained attack by terrorists and extremist elements. This is not a matter of guesswork or religious fear; it is a documented reality that demands urgent attention and decisive action.”
He faulted the government for “deliberately choosing to change the narrative, downplay the religious dimensions of these attacks and present what is clearly targeted persecution as mere criminal activity or ethnic conflicts.”
Mozho said the scale of violence in the North East, North Central and North West was an undeniable fact.
“The evidence speaks louder than any government rotation that citizens of the North East, North Central, and North West of Nigeria, the Christian majority, have been under relentless attack for many years.
“Thousands displaced from their homes and communities. Hundreds killed in cold blood for their faith and identity. Properties systematically destroyed in calculated campaigns of economic devastation. Entire communities driven out of their native and ancestral lands under the very watch of the government that swore to protect them,” he said.
He further gave examples from Borno State, saying: “Tribes in the hills of Gwoza and Gwoza Baqyan-Dutse, among others, have been driven out of their native land.
“This is not happening in some distant conflict zone. This is happening in our Nigeria, to our people, in our lifetime. Churches have been burnt, pastors have been murdered, congregations have been scattered and entire Christian villages have been erased from the map. The pattern is clear, the intent is obvious and the perpetrators are known,” he noted.
He said the time for “polite silence and diplomatic language has passed, it is time for us to wake up and defend ourselves for survival.
“We cannot continue to rely solely on a government that appears either unwilling or unable to protect its citizens from these systematic attacks.”
He disclosed that the perpetrators were known to security agencies but little or nothing has been done over the years.
“The culprits are known, their identities, locations, methods and sponsors are no mystery to security agencies. Yet, nothing substantive is done to stop them. We want our displaced families to go back to their villages to farm and resettled,” he insisted
He accused Christian politicians of being complicit in the ongoing suffering of their own people without a voice.
“You cannot enjoy the privileges of political office while your constituents are slaughtered and displaced. Speak up, stand up and use your positions to demand justice and protection for persecuted communities.
“Our Christian politicians, your silence in the face of this targeted persecution makes you complicit in the suffering of your own people. You must understand this sobering truth; the church is under deliberate, sustained attack by terrorists and extremist elements. This is not a matter of guesswork or religious fear; it is a documented reality that demands urgent attention and decisive action.
“Yet, our government, while fully aware of these coordinated assaults, deliberately chooses to change the narrative to downplay the religious dimensions of these attacks, and to present what is clearly targeted persecution as mere criminal activity or ethnic conflicts,” he submitted.
