Christian youth from Benue, Plateau, Southern Bauchi and Kaduna states have raised concerns over the spate of insecurity in their communities, alleging that the attacks go beyond farmer-herder clashes and amount to systematic persecution of indigenous Christian populations.
The youth, representing the Universal Reformed Christian Church (NKST), Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), and the Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN), made their position known during a joint press conference.
According to the group, the killings, destruction of farmlands, and displacement of villagers point to what they described as “coordinated and religiously motivated attacks” aimed at dispossessing local communities of their ancestral lands.
“Bullets, machetes, and swords do not recognize denominational boundaries. Catholic, Anglican, ECWA, COCIN, and NKST members have all suffered. This is not just insecurity it is persecution,” the youths stated.
They rejected what they called the “false narrative” that the crisis stems from farmer-herder clashes, communal disputes, or climate change, insisting instead that it amounts to ethnic cleansing.
The group listed incidents of killings, kidnappings, rape, abductions, and forceful conversions as evidence of targeted persecution, while also lamenting the destruction of homes and farmlands, which they said has forced millions into Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.
The coalition outlined several demands, including recognition of the violence as deliberate ethnic cleansing rather than farmer-herder clashes and an immediate return of displaced persons to their ancestral lands, with legal recognition of ownership through certificates of occupancy.
The young also seek legal protection for farmers to cultivate without harassment, disarmament of armed groups accused of carrying out the attacks and arrest and prosecution of perpetrators.
Other demands are impartiality and professionalism from security agencies, speedy trials for detained Christian youths, and an equal distribution of national resources irrespective of religion.
The rest of the demands include respect for the rights of the Zaar people in Bauchi State to choose their traditional leader and a review of the security architecture to strengthen community policing.
The youth emphasized that restoring displaced persons to their ancestral homes and ensuring justice would help rebuild confidence in the Nigerian state.
“Meeting these demands will show that the government is committed to justice, which is the foundation of peace. Continued silence or politicization of these attacks could lead to a breakdown of law and order,” the group warned.
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