The Regional Chairman of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Barkin Ladi, Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, says he had sought out families of Fulani victims killed in an earlier attack before the latest violence that claimed seven lives in Dorowa Babuje village.

Rev. Dachomo, a Plateau-based cleric, spoke while addressing troops of Operation Safe Haven as well as protesters amid heightened tension in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.

According to him, he had attempted to sympathise with Fulani families who lost three members in a previous attack allegedly carried out by suspected Berom militia before the latest incident.

“I was sympathizing with the Fulani that were killed all the other time. I saw it. I was sympathizing and I was looking for their leaders to say I’m sorry for what has happened,” he said.

He added that he could not immediately reach them due to the tense atmosphere at the time.

The cleric also disclosed that he was battling a health challenge, saying he was preparing to travel abroad for further medical evaluation.

“Even I myself, I have to manage with the cancer of the liver that I am facing. Last year I was six months outside the country. They saw it in the CT scan and said I should rush back for another check-up,” he said.

Rev. Dachomo stressed that patience shown by his community should not be mistaken for weakness.

“We have never entered their settlements. Our youth can enter that place in one particular night, but we have never entered. No Ruga we have visited. We have continued to show love,” he said.

“Silence is not weakness. Patience is not weakness. We want peace.”

He said he had previously knelt before members of a National Assembly committee set up to address the Plateau crisis, appealing for peace.

“If you say we are going to have peace today, we will have it. We have always been giving you peace. We are at the receiving end at any movement,” he said.

The cleric, however, raised concerns about what he described as recurring patterns of violence and counter-accusations.

“I will ask: who killed the chairman of Miyetti Allah last year? He was killed at home. Our people cannot go there,” he said.

He also questioned the motive behind the killing of three Fulani men in a previous incident, in which one victim was reportedly beheaded.

“Why would they be killed and remove the head? Islam cannot remove the head. Even Christianity cannot remove the head,” he said.

Rev. Dachomo clarified that he was not directly accusing any group.

“I am not accusing anybody. It can be my people, it can be their people. All I am praying is that God should expose those that are behind these things,” he said.

He urged youths and community members to exercise restraint and avoid actions that could escalate tensions further.