Reported by Mustapha Omolabake Omowumi, Managing Editor | Sele Media Malawi.
JERUSALEM, Israel — Plateau State-based cleric Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo has travelled to Israel as part of what he describes as his first international Christian advocacy tour, using the visit to pray for Nigeria and its leaders while seeking to draw international attention to the security challenges and killings affecting communities in Plateau State and other parts of Nigeria.
Dachomo, the Regional Chairman of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, arrived in Israel on Friday, October 2, 2026, according to reports published by Nigerian media outlets and details from a programme he shared on social media.
The cleric has become a prominent voice on violence affecting communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, particularly Plateau State, where he has repeatedly attended mass burials and spoken publicly about attacks on residents.
His latest international engagement comes months after nine members of his extended family were killed in an attack in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State. He subsequently reported receiving threats against his life and that of members of his church.
Dachomo’s Israel visit is therefore taking place against the backdrop of a deeply personal experience of violence, as well as his wider campaign to attract international attention to insecurity in Nigeria.
According to The Times Nigeria, Dachomo arrived in Israel on October 2 and plans to use the trip to engage international Christian leaders and prayer groups while drawing attention to what he describes as the persecution of Christians in Plateau and the wider Middle Belt.
Prompt News Online similarly reported that the cleric travelled to Israel as part of his first international Christian advocacy tour, with plans to highlight security challenges affecting Plateau and other parts of Nigeria.
Dachomo says he is praying for Nigeria
In a Facebook post referenced in the reports, Dachomo said he was in Israel to pray for Nigeria, its leadership and the Nigerian people.
“Today, I am in Israel praying for Nigeria, our leaders, and our people,” he said, adding that he believed in the possibility of change even in circumstances that appeared difficult.
The cleric also called for divine intervention for Nigerians facing personal and national difficulties, praying that people would receive healing, assistance, renewed hope and answers to their needs.
His message was not limited to Christians.
In statements surrounding his Israel trip, Dachomo said he intended to pray for Nigerians affected by violence irrespective of religious or regional identity. Reports said he specifically mentioned Muslims affected by violence in northern states, Christians, people from the South-East and other communities.
This broader framing is significant because insecurity in Nigeria has affected communities across religious, ethnic and regional lines, although the nature and circumstances of individual attacks vary considerably from one location to another.
Dachomo’s public advocacy, however, has largely focused on attacks that he says disproportionately affect Christian communities in Plateau State and the wider Middle Belt.
Prayers for Netanyahu, Israel and the Israeli military
During his latest appearance in Israel, Dachomo also said he had prayed for the country, its people and its leadership.
He specifically mentioned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, members of the Israeli cabinet and the Israel Defence Forces.
According to reports of his remarks, the cleric prayed that God would grant Israel victory over its enemies.
His comments place the Israel visit within a wider religious advocacy programme rather than presenting it solely as a political or diplomatic mission.
Dachomo has expressed appreciation for international figures who have spoken publicly about religious violence in Nigeria and has said he wants to use his presence in Israel to communicate his concerns directly to international audiences.
Several Nigerian outlets reporting on his arrival said he hopes to engage Netanyahu and other world leaders. However, available reports indicate that a private or formal meeting between Dachomo and Netanyahu had not been independently confirmed as of October 3.
This distinction is important. Dachomo has expressed an intention to meet or address the Israeli prime minister, but that should not be interpreted as confirmation that such a meeting has already taken place.
Tinubu and Mutfwang also included in prayers
Dachomo also mentioned Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang in his prayers.
He said he was praying for the Nigerian government, the Plateau State administration and African countries more broadly.
In a video accompanying his message, the cleric called for divine intervention in leadership and prayed against what he described as satanic influence in government.
His remarks reflect his religious approach to the political and security challenges confronting Nigeria.
The cleric’s decision to mention both national and state leaders also underlines the fact that his advocacy is directed at multiple levels of government.
While Dachomo has previously criticised authorities over their handling of violence, his latest statements also included prayers for the leaders themselves.
A journey shaped by Plateau’s deadly violence
The Israel trip cannot be separated from Dachomo’s experience of violence in Plateau State.
In July 2026, nine members of his extended family were killed in an attack on the Kum community in Riyom Local Government Area.
Dachomo disclosed at the time that the victims were members of his extended family and participated in the burial of the victims.
PUNCH reported on July 17 that Dachomo had also alleged receiving a threatening letter from suspected attackers after speaking publicly about the killings. According to the newspaper, he said copies of the alleged threat had been handed over to security agencies.
Other reports said the nine victims included children and a two-month-old baby.
The killings drew international attention. The United States condemned the deaths and called for perpetrators to be held accountable, according to reporting by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting and other Nigerian media outlets.
The U.S. response added an international dimension to an attack that had initially been primarily reported as part of the continuing security crisis in Plateau.
The attack also reinforced Dachomo’s profile as a cleric who has repeatedly documented violence and participated in burials for victims.
Reuters has previously documented Dachomo’s presence at Plateau mass burials
Dachomo’s public profile in relation to Plateau insecurity predates the July attack involving his family.
Reuters documented his presence at a mass burial following an attack in Plateau State in June 2026. The Reuters footage showed Dachomo participating in the burial process and speaking about insecurity in Nigeria.
Reuters reported that an attack in central Plateau killed 20 people in June, citing local authorities. The report also described Plateau as a region that has experienced years of communal violence.
That reporting provides independent context for understanding why Dachomo has emerged as a prominent religious voice on insecurity.
His advocacy has increasingly moved beyond local funerals and community meetings towards international engagement.
The Israel journey represents another step in that trajectory.
From local advocacy to international Christian engagement
Dachomo has described the Israel trip as his first international Christian advocacy tour.
According to reports, his programme includes engagements with Christian prayer groups and preachers from different countries.
He has mentioned participants or religious leaders from countries including the United States, Canada, France, Spain and China.
The stated objective is to raise awareness about insecurity in Nigeria and to encourage prayer and international attention.
This approach combines religious advocacy with the public presentation of Nigeria’s security situation.
Dachomo has argued that the international community should pay greater attention to attacks affecting Nigerian communities, particularly in the Middle Belt.
His use of Israel as the location for this advocacy is also notable because the country has a strong symbolic and religious significance for many Christians.
However, the visit should not be mistaken for an official Nigerian diplomatic mission. There is no indication in the available reports that Dachomo is travelling to Israel as a representative of the Nigerian government.
Rather, reports consistently describe the journey as a personal or religious advocacy initiative.
The wider debate over violence in Nigeria
Dachomo’s claims about attacks on Christians have formed part of a wider international debate about the nature of insecurity in Nigeria.
Christian organisations and some international advocacy groups have repeatedly raised concerns about violence affecting Christian communities in the Middle Belt and northern Nigeria.
At the same time, Nigerian authorities have generally stressed that the country faces a complex security environment involving terrorism, banditry, communal conflict, criminal violence, farmer-herder disputes and other forms of insecurity.
That distinction matters in reporting on Plateau because individual attacks can have multiple underlying factors, and claims about perpetrators, motives and religious identity require independent verification.
Dachomo has consistently characterised some of the violence as attacks against Christians and has used the term “genocide” in describing what he believes is happening to Christian communities.
Those characterisations are his claims and should be distinguished from independently established facts about individual incidents.
The U.S. government, meanwhile, has publicly condemned violence against Christian communities and other vulnerable populations in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, while Nigerian officials have emphasised the broader nature of the country’s security challenges.
It remains unclear whether Dachomo will obtain a direct meeting with Netanyahu or other senior Israeli officials.
Reports currently establish his arrival in Israel and his stated intention to raise Nigeria’s security situation with international audiences. They do not independently confirm that he has already met Netanyahu.
The outcome of the advocacy tour may therefore depend on the extent to which Dachomo gains access to political, religious and humanitarian networks during his stay.
For Plateau communities affected by repeated violence, the larger question is whether international attention can translate into practical improvements in civilian protection, accountability and humanitarian support.
For the Nigerian government, the continuing international attention also underscores the importance of credible investigations into attacks, prosecution of perpetrators and stronger protection for vulnerable communities.
For Dachomo, the Israel journey represents a continuation of a campaign that has increasingly moved from local religious leadership into international advocacy.
His message in Israel is centred on prayer, but it is also a renewed attempt to ensure that the violence experienced by communities in Plateau and elsewhere in Nigeria remains visible beyond the country’s borders.
As the cleric continues his programme, the precise nature of his engagements with Israeli officials and international Christian groups will determine how far his advocacy reaches.
For now, his arrival marks a notable new chapter in the Plateau cleric’s campaign to draw global attention to Nigeria’s security crisis.
PUNCH Newspapers Reporting on Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo’s allegations of threats following the killing of nine members of his extended family in Plateau State.
Reuters Coverage and footage documenting the June 2026 Plateau attack and Dachomo’s participation in a mass burial.
The Guardian Nigeria Reporting on efforts by the Christian Association of Nigerian Americans to seek protection for Rev. Dachomo following threats against him.
The ICIR Reporting on the United States’ condemnation of the killing of members of Dachomo’s family and its call for accountability.
Reporting on Dachomo’s October 2026 arrival in Israel and his stated international Christian advocacy programme.