Christian ministers in Nigeria’s Middle Belt have warned the Federal Government not to mistake their years of restraint and silence for weakness, as they demand urgent action to stop the killings, kidnappings and destruction affecting communities across the region.
The warning was issued by the Middle Belt Indigenous Christian Ministers Forum, MBICMF, through its National Chairman, Reverend John Nash, amid growing concerns over attacks on communities and places of worship.
The group said Christians in affected areas had remained patient because of their faith, respect for lawful authority and commitment to peace. However, it said the continued loss of innocent lives had reached a point where further silence could no longer be treated as acceptance.
The ministers said many communities across the Middle Belt were facing repeated attacks, with residents being killed, abducted and forced from their homes. They also raised concerns about the destruction of places of worship and the growing number of mass burials in affected communities.
According to the forum, government security responses have often come after lives and property have already been lost. While acknowledging that security agencies sometimes carry out rescue operations, the group described the response as inconsistent and insufficient to prevent repeated attacks.
The ministers said the situation had created widespread fear among residents and questioned why early warnings and security concerns were not being addressed quickly enough to prevent attacks.
They called on President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government to strengthen security in vulnerable communities and ensure that intelligence and early warning information are acted upon promptly.
The forum also urged state governments to take stronger measures to protect residents and prevent further attacks in areas facing persistent insecurity.
The Christian leaders further demanded independent investigations into repeated security failures, saying accountability was necessary to establish what had gone wrong and why attacks had continued despite previous warnings.
They also appealed to international organisations and human rights groups to pay closer attention to the situation, describing the continuing violence as a serious humanitarian and religious freedom concern.
The ministers stressed that their position remained focused on peace, justice and lawful engagement. They said their restraint should not be interpreted as fear or cowardice and warned that Christians could no longer remain silent while communities continued to suffer killings, abductions and displacement.
The latest warning adds to growing calls from religious and community leaders for stronger government action over insecurity in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
The Christian ministers maintained that protecting lives and property must remain a priority and urged authorities to move beyond responses after attacks and take effective steps to prevent violence before it occurs.
