…calls for immediate government action

The Plateau State Association, USA, Inc. (PSA-USA) has alleged that ongoing killings in Plateau State and the wider Middle Belt region are part of coordinated and intentional efforts to depopulate and dispossess Christian communities of their ancestral homes.

The National President of PSA-USA, Dr. Barth Shepkong, made the allegation in a press statement issued on Thursday and made available to journalists in Abuja. The statement is titled “Statement on Christian Persecution, Genocide, and the Ongoing War of Occupation in Plateau State and the Middle Belt.”

Dr. Shepkong said communities in Mangu, Barkin Ladi, Bokkos, Kanam, and other affected areas are experiencing organised killings, systematic displacement, seizure of farmlands, and the destruction of homes and livelihoods.

“These atrocities are intentional, coordinated, and aimed at depopulating and dispossessing Christian communities from their ancestral lands,” he said, adding that the violence is not communal but “a sustained and ruthless campaign.”

He described the situation as genocide driven by targeted Christian persecution and enforced through what he called a “war of occupation,” noting that entire communities were being wiped out with “deliberate precision.”

According to him, the crisis has persisted due to what he termed a dangerous failure of political will to confront perpetrators, dismantle violent networks, and provide adequate protection for vulnerable populations.

“Silence in the face of mass killings is complicity, and any peace built on denial or political convenience is both false and unsustainable,” he warned.

Dr. Shepkong called for immediate investigation, arrest, and prosecution of all perpetrators and sponsors of the attacks, without political interference. He urged the Federal Government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to displaced families, reform the security architecture, and establish credible community protection mechanisms.

He also appealed for the rebuilding of destroyed communities and the safe, dignified return of displaced persons.

Additionally, Dr. Shepkong urged the Federal Government to collaborate with the United States and other international partners to strengthen justice mechanisms and expand humanitarian support.

He noted that through its R64 Diaspora Campaign Fund, PSA-USA continues to support internally displaced persons and assist with community rehabilitation across all 17 local government areas and 64 wards of Plateau State.

“PSA-USA stands unwavering in its commitment to justice and human dignity,” he said. “We are not appealing for pity. We are demanding justice. We are demanding accountability. We are demanding the restoration of peace and the right of our people to live safely on their ancestral land.”