Reverend Timothy Daluk, the Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, has accused the Nigerian military of supervising the gruesome murder of Christians and destruction of properties in the state.
Daluk made this accusation in a video that was made public on social media platforms.
He talked with agitation and said: “I am here to report the situation happening in Mangu Local Government for the whole world to understand. What is happening in Mangu at this particular point in time, the military are the ones sending our people away for the militia to burn their houses.”
The CAN chairman accused the military of stifling Christian-dominated areas while Muslims wreaked havoc on them.
He added: “At this particular point in time, they have sent every Christian away from the new market, thereby leaving the Muslims to come and burn their houses. They set the curfew. The curfew is only restricted to only people within Mangu – within the Christian domain. Within the Muslim domain, they are free to move and do whatever they want to do.
“And not only that, the military has killed three of our young men of which I know. One is before my church. They killed one yesterday, and I reported to the security, and he said it was fake soldiers.
“At first, he said I was lying until I proved to him beyond a reasonable doubt then he finally said it was fake soldiers. I said no, it was not fake soldiers; it was a real soldier who killed him. Finally, they made a signal to the soldier, and he disappeared from the scene.”
He further accused the military of switching off their phones as tensions increased within Mangu and its environs.
He said: “Now that I am speaking to you, all of them have switched off their phones, and they allowed the place to be burned down and raided by the people. And this is what is going on now that I am speaking to you.
“People around Gindiri junction, (called other locations that were inaudible) their houses are now ablaze because the soldiers protected them and allowed them to burn people’s houses. They are not doing anything about it.”
He expressed frustration about the military’s alleged nonchalant attitude towards the crisis in Mangu and said they have had enough and do not want the presence of military anymore.
He said: “We don’t want the military in Mangu Local Government. They should pack their loads and go. We don’t want them.
“We don’t need them and we don’t want them. Because the plan, they have been bought. They have been paid with a price to carry out their duty. I am calling on the world to understand that this thing should stop, and people should come to our rescue to save us if not, that is an evil plan for them to destroy Mangu Local Government. Because the governor is from here, and we are not going to allow it.”
Daluk said since the military won’t help in protecting them from the militia that has destroyed lives and properties, they will take matters into their own hands.
He said: “The military should keep on killing us. We accept they should kill us, but we are not going to stop. I will organise the whole Christians in Mangu Local Government Area. We are going to fight. We are not going to stop, and that is what I said.
“Enough is enough. We have cried, but the government is not listening. If they switch off their phones, then where else do we take our cries to?”
