The youth wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Plateau State has warned that Christians in the state are facing a coordinated and deadly campaign of violence from extremist groups and Fulani bandits.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Youth Wing of CAN (YOWICAN), led by Chairman Panmak Mark Lere and Secretary General Ankuka Dekom Paul, said Christians are “under siege,” insisting that the killings are deliberate, targeted, and part of a broader plan to drive Christian communities from their ancestral lands.
YOWICAN was responding to a Vanguard publication which claimed Christians were not being singled out. The group strongly rejected the report, describing it as “inaccurate,” “misleading,” and an attempt to downplay the suffering of affected communities.
According to the statement, reports of attacks in Plateau, Benue, and other parts of the country reveal a clear pattern of religiously motivated violence aimed at wiping out Christian communities. They also condemned what they described as the politicization of ongoing killings, land grabbing, and community displacement.
The group expressed sadness that many villages have been overrun, farmlands seized, and thousands of residents displaced. It said that Plateau Christians completely distance themselves from the position credited to the National Chairman of YOWICAN in the controversial Vanguard publication.
YOWICAN urged the National Chairman to visit Plateau State to witness the devastation firsthand, describing the publication as “a mockery of the grief and losses Christians are suffering.”
The group insisted that what is happening in Plateau is not a farmer-herder clash but “pure genocide.” Citing official records from 2001 to 2025, YOWICAN noted that over 11,749 people have been killed, dozens of communities taken over, and thousands displaced.
A fact-finding committee led by retired Major General Nicholas Rogers further documented the scale of destruction, including:
– 35% livestock loss
– 32.5% displacement
– 16.8% destruction of food supply
– 9.9% destruction of houses
– 3.4% illegal land occupation
“These are not just numbers,” the group stressed. “They represent families wiped out, communities erased, and futures destroyed.”
YOWICAN made several demands, urging both the Federal Government and the Plateau State Government to:
– Officially recognize the killings as religiously motivated genocide
– Investigate and prosecute attackers and their sponsors
– Support displaced persons and help them return home
– Rebuild destroyed communities
– Strengthen security in vulnerable areas to prevent further attacks
“For too long, we have buried our dead in silence—even during ongoing attacks,” the group said. “Enough is enough. Our pain cannot be ignored. Christians in Plateau and across Nigeria are facing severe persecution, and the world must hear the truth.”
