National Chairman of the Middle Belt Indigenous Christian Ministers' Forum, Reverend John Nash,
Religious leaders under the umbrella of the Middle Belt Indigenous Christian Ministers Forum (MBICMF) have raised fresh concerns over the continued killings of their members and communities, urging authorities at all levels to act decisively to halt the violence.
In a statement signed by its National Chairman, Rev. John Nash, the forum warned that its long-standing silence should not be mistaken for weakness, stressing that it can no longer watch its people being slaughtered, abducted, and displaced.
Rev. Nash expressed deep shock over what he described as the alarming escalation of attacks across the Middle Belt region, noting that many communities are now forced to conduct mass burials regularly.
Part of the statement reads:
“The Middle Belt Indigenous Christian Ministers Forum (MBICMF) wishes to bring to the attention of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the international community, civil society organizations, and all people of conscience the alarming and escalating security challenges facing our members and communities across several states in the Middle Belt region.”
He lamented that communities in the region continue to witness widespread violence, adding:
“Mass killings resulting in large-scale burials across different states, with worshippers being abducted during Church services and taken to unknown destinations.”
Further highlighting their concerns, Rev. Nash said:
“Some of our members are brutally killed after being kidnapped.
Churches burned, vandalized, or completely destroyed.
Entire communities displaced and left traumatized.
What is particularly distressing is that in many cases, early warning reports were communicated to relevant security agencies before these attacks occurred.”
Questioning the effectiveness of security responses, he noted that interventions often come only after lives and property have been lost.
While acknowledging that security operatives sometimes carry out rescue efforts, he described such responses as inconsistent and inadequate.
According to him, the failure of government to protect lives and property has heightened fear among residents. He added that years of restraint have been misinterpreted by some as weakness.
He said:
“Let it be clearly understood: our restraint has been born out of faith, patience, and respect for lawful authority — not fear or cowardice. However, the ongoing loss of innocent lives and the destruction of places of worship can no longer be treated with indifference.”
The forum called on the Federal Government of Nigeria and state governments to urgently strengthen security in vulnerable areas and ensure that early warning intelligence is acted upon promptly to prevent attacks.
Reaffirming its commitment to peace, justice, and lawful engagement, MBICMF also appealed to the international community and human rights organizations to urgently intervene in what it described as a worsening humanitarian and religious freedom crisis.
The group, further, demanded independent investigations into repeated security lapses, insisting that the world must know they cannot continue to watch their people being slaughtered, abducted, and displaced without demanding accountability.
