Pastor Abel Damina has recounted harrowing experiences of violence against Christians in northern Nigeria, challenging claims that there is no genocide in the region.
Speaking in a video shared on X, Damina described himself not only as a researcher but as a victim of repeated attacks and atrocities targeting innocent lives.
So for someone to sit comfortably in their room, perhaps somewhere in the South, and claim that there is no such thing in northern Nigeria, my brother, you have not been a part of it,” Damina said.
The cleric recalled multiple attacks on his family and church while growing up in Zaria, Kaduna State, including the burning of their church and family home in 1986-87, forcing them to seek shelter in a military barracks.
He also highlighted other historical massacres, including the 2000 Kaduna killings and the November 2002 Miss World riots, which claimed hundreds of lives.
Damina criticised attempts to downplay the scale of violence, emphasising that Christian communities continue to face attacks from extremists, bandits, and insurgents, which have escalated into broader conflicts such as the herders-farmers clashes.
“It snowballed into herders and farmers. It’s snowballed into banditry. People are dying every day, and this is the reality on the ground,” he said.
He called on the government to take immediate action to protect lives, restore security, and allow displaced persons to return safely to their homes, villages, and farmlands.
Damin stressed that these atrocities cannot continue in a secular nation where all religions are permitted.
“We cannot be in a country where some people feel it is their right to kill another human being because of their faith. The government has a duty to protect lives and ensure justice,” he added.
The pastor also thanked international voices, including former U.S. President Donald Trump, for drawing global attention to the crisis, but reiterated that local action and accountability remain critical to ending the ongoing violence against Christians in Nigeria.
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