Popular Plateau State cleric, Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, has announced that he has rejected asylum proposals from countries such as Australia, Austria, and other nations within the European Union.
Reacting to possible threats from terrorists who have continued to attack villages in Plateau, the cleric said he would not leave his home for any criminal.
Dachomo who serves as the Regional Chairman of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State is said to have a bounty placed on his head by the dreaded terrorist group.
This has led several individuals and groups to call for the preacher to leave the state or Nigeria as a whole.
However, reacting to the calls, Dachomo said he will remain in Nigeria to fight for the Christians who are continuously persecuted by the Islamic jihadists.
Speaking in an interview on Wednesday, the cleric said that the asylum proposal from various countries came during the peak of the death threat and warnings from the presidency over his exposure on the level of killings happening in the state and the North Central region.
He noted that he had to reject these proposals because he is not a coward or one who could be pushed to abandon his people.
The cleric also said that he cannot afford to run away to safety in a foreign land while his flock perish in the hands of the Islamic jihadists.
He further highlighted that most of his loved ones and associates have advised him to accept the asylum offers.
“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,” Dachomo said.