Outspoken Plateau State cleric, Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, has disclosed that he was offered asylum by countries including Australia and Austria at the height of alleged threats to his life and reports of a bounty placed on him by Islamist extremists.
Dachomo, who serves as the Regional Chairman of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, said he declined the offers, choosing instead to remain in Nigeria and continue advocating for persecuted Christians in Plateau and across the country.
Speaking in an interview on Wednesday, the cleric explained that the asylum offers came during a period when he received frequent death threats, alongside what he described as veiled warnings from the presidency.
Despite the security concerns, Dachomo said he rejected the offers because he could not abandon his congregation for personal safety abroad.
According to him, he has resolved to remain in the country and continue standing with his community, insisting that he is not intimidated by those who have threatened his life.
“I can’t be afraid of them. They should be afraid of me. I’ve been offered asylum in Australia, Austria, and other countries but I said no. I’m going nowhere. I stand with them,” he said.
The cleric added that although friends, family members, and fellow religious leaders have advised him to accept the asylum offers for his safety, he has never considered leaving his people behind.
Dachomo maintained that he would continue supporting communities affected by attacks, noting that he is determined to remain with those he described as victims of persecution.