Nicki Minaj shares prayer over killings in Plateau

American rapper Nicki Minaj has drawn fresh attention to the killings in Plateau State after sharing a report on the violence and posting a brief prayer.

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“Lord, if we hear from you, then we will know what to do,” Ms Minaj wrote in the post, according to reports published after she shared an account focusing on Ezekiel Dachomo, a cleric in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.

The post came amid reported attacks in communities around Barkin Ladi and other parts of Plateau, including the killing of three members of a community watch group in Gassa on 24 September.

The three victims were identified as Ishaya Dung, Barnabas Jack and Manasseh Mushwer.

Channels Television, citing the Berom Youth Moulders Association, reported the deaths, while wider casualty figures from attacks in neighbouring communities remained subject to independent verification.

Mr Dachomo was later seen at the burial of the Gassa victims.

In remarks at the burial, he thanked United States President Donald Trump for raising the issue of attacks against Christians during his address to the United Nations General Assembly.

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“Thank you for advocating for us at the United Nations Assembly. I watched your address to the end,” Mr Dachomo said, according to a report by TruthNigeria.

The latest violence occurred despite a dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed by the Plateau State Government on Barkin Ladi, Bokkos and Mangu on 21 September.

The government restricted movement in the three local government areas from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily, saying the measure was intended to enable security agencies to stabilise the affected areas and prevent further attacks.

Another attack was reported on 26 September at a mining site in Marit, Barkin Ladi. PREMIUM TIMES reported that five miners were killed and two others injured, based on accounts from community sources.

However, a separate report citing security sources put the death toll at six, with two others injured.

The discrepancy means the casualty figure has not been independently settled.

The renewed violence has also prompted additional security operations around Dorowa, Babuje, Marit and Lajam communities.

Minaj’s latest intervention comes months after she publicly commented on violence against Christians in Nigeria.

READ ALSO: Three women killed in Plateau mining site attack

In November 2025, she addressed a United Nations event organised by the United States Mission to the UN, where she said Christians in Nigeria were being targeted and displaced and called for action against religious violence.

At the event, Ms Minaj also said protecting Christians should not be about dividing people and referred to the need to protect people regardless of their faith.

Her latest post, however, was limited to a prayer accompanying the report on the killings and did not name any alleged perpetrator or propose a specific government or security response.

The continuing violence in Plateau has generated competing accounts about its causes and religious dimensions, with Christian communities reporting repeated attacks while violence has also affected Muslim residents and other communities in the state.

For now, security agencies face pressure to protect communities affected by the attacks and establish the circumstances and perpetrators behind the latest killings.