The association, in a statement jointly signed by Rev. Ayuba John Bassa and Rev. Filibus K. Goma, national coordinator and chairman of the Board of Trustees respectively, said they had documentary evidence to back their claims.
The Gwoza Christian Community Association in Borno State has insisted that there is an ongoing genocide being perpetrated against them by Boko Haram terrorists.
The association, in a statement jointly signed by Rev. Ayuba John Bassa and Rev. Filibus K. Goma, national coordinator and chairman of the Board of Trustees respectively, said they had documentary evidence to back their claims.
In the statement, the association said: “When a Senator recently told Channels TV that there is no persecution or genocide against Christians in Borno, particularly in Gwoza, he denied the lived reality of thousands of people he does not know. We are indigenous Christians of Gwoza Local Government Area. What follows is not hearsay or political rhetoric; it is our testimony, a painful record of loss, displacement and erasure.
“Gwoza once had a thriving Christian presence. Before the insurgency, there were more than 176 large church buildings across the local government. Today, 148 of those churches were burnt and lie in ruins. Entire Christian neighbourhoods in Gwoza East and West were flattened; in many places, every Christian home was destroyed.”
Reeling out other documented facts, the association further argued, “The human toll and destruction are detailed and specific. In Gava-West alone, 74 towns and villages were sacked, 36,946 families were dispersed, 99 churches were destroyed, and 292 people were killed in September 2013. In Attagara, 13 churches were destroyed, 1,738 families displaced and 140 Christians killed by 3 June 2014. By 9 August 2014, 2,203 Christian houses and 28 churches were destroyed, and 102 Christians, including three pastors, were killed in Gwoza town, Kamba and Ghraza. The total pastors killed by insurgents in Gwoza local government was 12. In other Christian towns within Gwoza, such as Ngoshe, Bokko, Pulka, Limankara, Ngoshe-sama, Barawa and Gava-North, both the loss of life and the physical destruction exceeded local expectations.”
It also said that the human cost is staggering. About 107,000 Gwoza Christians are scattered in 27 internally displaced persons camps across seven Nigerian states and in the Minawao refugee camp in Cameroon, while almost 50,000 are squatting with relatives in towns and cities across Nigeria.
The association argued that this pattern — the destruction of churches, removal of Christian families, and official silence or inaction — raises an unavoidable question: Is there a systematic attempt to erase Christians and their heritage from Gwoza?
Concluding, it blamed the leadership of Christians for being too silent and compromised, while it appealed for thorough investigation to ascertain their outcry:
“We plead for truth, accountability and action. To CAN and all Christian bodies: your people are suffering. Will you continue to stand silent? Will you trade the lives and dignity of the displaced for political appointments or other gains?
“To the Nigerian government: fulfil your constitutional duty to protect every citizen irrespective of faith. Conduct independent investigations, prosecute those responsible for targeted attacks, ensure equitable reconstruction and restore the right of displaced Christians to return home with dignity and security.
“To Christians and people of conscience worldwide: pray, speak, advocate and act. Survivors in camps and ruined communities in Gwoza need more than sympathy — they need sustained attention, protection and a pathway to rebuild their lives and heritage.
“This is our testimony as indigenous Christians from Gwoza. The blood and ruins cry out for justice. We have endured atrocities for too long, hoping things would change. They have not. The time for denial and silence is over. Please talk about it until the world knows.”
SaharaReporters.
