The Gwoza Christian Community Association (GCCA) has made a desperate appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging immediate federal intervention to halt what they describe as the continued suffering and systematic erasure of indigenous Christians in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.
A Plea for Dignity and Justice in Abuja Press Conference
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the National Coordinator of the association, Rev. Dr. (Arc) Ayuba John Bassa, highlighted the ongoing campaign of injustice and exclusion faced by survivors of the insurgency. The group is not asking for favors but is begging for the dignity of truth, justice, and a safe home for their people.
"We are begging for the dignity of truth, justice and a safe home for our people. Too many churches, homes and lives were destroyed. Too many of our sons remain unaccounted for. Silence and denial have compounded our grief. Mr President, your urgent, visible action can stop the slow death of our communities," the GCCA stated.
The association presented a list of concrete demands, including swift intervention, an independent investigation, equitable reconstruction, urgent humanitarian relief, and visible guarantees for a safe return to their ancestral lands.
Documenting the Scale of Destruction and Displacement
The GCCA provided detailed and harrowing statistics on the human and physical toll of the conflict on the Christian community in Gwoza. They revealed that out of 176 large churches that could hold 500 worshippers or more before the insurgency, a staggering 148 were burnt and now lie in ruins. Only twelve are standing today, restored by Vice President Kashim Shettima during his tenure as Borno State Governor.
The devastation is catalogued with painful specificity:
- In Gwoza-West alone in September 2013: 74 towns and villages sacked, 36,946 families dispersed, 99 churches destroyed, and 292 people killed.
- In Attagara by 3rd June 2014: 13 churches destroyed, 1,738 families displaced, and 140 Christians killed.
- By 9th August 2014 in Gwoza town, Kamba, and Ghraza: 2,203 Christian houses and 28 churches destroyed, with 102 Christians, including three pastors, killed.
- The total number of pastors killed by insurgents in Gwoza LGA stands at 12.
Towns like Ngoshe, Bokko, Pulka, Limankara, Ngoshe-sama, Barawa, and Gava-North experienced losses exceeding local expectations. The displacement crisis is massive, with about 107,000 Gwoza Christians in 27 IDP camps across seven Nigerian states and in Cameroon's Minawao refugee camp. An additional 50,000 are displaced and living with relatives, many for over a decade.
Allegations of Systemic Exclusion and Unresolved Injustices
The GCCA's appeal goes beyond past violence, pointing to ongoing patterns of exclusion in reconstruction and daily life. They presented evidence of extensive rebuilding of Muslim homes and properties on original land while Christian survivors have been largely excluded. Among thousands of resettlement houses built, the GCCA claims it can identify only three Christian beneficiaries, despite Christians being the most displaced group.
Further allegations include:
- The church within Gwoza General Hospital was bulldozed and converted to a solar farm, while the adjacent mosque was rehabilitated.
- Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK) is not taught in government schools across the LGA.
- Public office and traditional leadership remain overwhelmingly monopolized, preventing fair representation.
- Unresolved abductions, including five members abducted on 30 July 2013 (one a former vice chairman of Gwoza LGA), who remain missing despite witnesses reporting military vehicle involvement.
- The recent arrest of member Mrs. Lami and her husband Amos in Maiduguri for sharing her faith, with the judge refusing bail on a non-criminal case, described as persecution.
Demands for Transparent Action and Ancestral Land Rights
The group called on President Tinubu to ensure transparent repatriation and resettlement. They cautioned against giving refugees monetary compensation, insisting on the right to return to their ancestral lands.
"Do not give our refugees in Cameroon #500,000 per family as compensation, enticement, or bet in the name of resettlement. Build their homes on their ancestral land in Gwoza and give them the keys. Our IDPs do not need money; they need homes to live in," the GCCA emphasized.
They urged the President to order an immediate, transparent audit of all reconstruction and resettlement projects in Gwoza LGA, demanding the publication of complete beneficiary lists, selection criteria, project budgets, and audited expenditures. Where inequity is found, they called for mandated restitution and reallocation to correct the injustices.
