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  • Rev. Dachomo Reveals He Robbed a Bank in Jos in 1980, Credits Jesus Saves

    Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, the Plateau State cleric known for his vocal activism on the killing of Christians in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, has revealed that he was a member of an armed robbery gang that raided a bank in Jos, Plateau State, in 1980.

    The disclosure, made in an interview with a foreign media outlet and shared online on Wednesday, has since gone viral, generating widespread reactions across Nigerian social media.

    What Dachomo said

    Dachomo confirmed that his gang successfully carried out the bank robbery in Jos, making away with a substantial sum of money, and that the operation was led by a close associate at the time.

    He described a spiritual encounter that he said marked the turning point in his life, recounting that Jesus appeared in his room while he was asleep, accompanied by seven angels, and engaged in a supernatural battle with what he described as 14 demons operating in his life. According to Dachomo, he pretended to be dead among fallen figures but was eventually discovered. “When they were coming, booting other corpses, then I had to stand up and begin to beg,” he said.

    He said he turned away from crime following that encounter, crediting the saving power of Jesus for his transformation.

    Rival account disputes the story

    The account has not gone unchallenged. A cleric identified as Baban Chinedu alleged that Dachomo’s version of events was fabricated, claiming that during the robbery, Dachomo hid among corpses and was rescued by a gang member named Emmanuel, not by divine intervention. The critic alleged that Dachomo was shot and still bears the scar from that wound, and accused him of transitioning from a “street-level bandit” to a “spiritual bandit” while inciting religious conflict.  Dachomo has not publicly responded to this counter-claim.

    Public reaction

    Nigerians on social media responded with a mix of amusement, scepticism, and support. One user suggested the story was typical of young men who grew up without older male role models to keep them in check. Others praised the cleric for his candour.

    Who is Dachomo

    Reverend Dachomo is a senior cleric in the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), serving as the regional chairman for the Barkin Ladi Local Government Area in Plateau State. He gained national and international attention after videos of him conducting mass burials for Christians killed in communal attacks went viral, drawing reactions from public figures, including US President Donald Trump, who placed Nigeria on a list of Countries of Particular Concern.

    In an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan in November 2025, Dachomo said he had presided over more than 70 mass burials, sometimes burying over 500 people in a single night, and accused the Nigerian government of downplaying the scale of the violence.

    The Nigerian Army has previously condemned one of his viral videos, accusing him of spreading false and inflammatory claims about a planned terrorist attack in Plateau State and warning that his statements risked igniting ethnic and religious violence.  Dachomo denied the characterisation and said he was speaking the truth about threats facing Christian communities.

    The viral video continues to trend on Nigerian social media. RNN.NG will update this story if Dachomo or any relevant authorities respond to the competing accounts surrounding his past.