The cleric added that the military men were no longer reachable to save people as tensions heightened within Mangu and its environs.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has said it will stand by its Chairman in the troubled Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, Rev Timothy Daluk.
Daluk had accused the Nigerian military of bias against Christians and aiding their killing amid the ongoing religious conflict in the community.
SaharaReporters on Thursday reported that Daluk accused the Nigerian military of killing three members of the Christian community amid the ongoing crisis in the area.
Mr Daluk made the allegation in a viral video on social media platforms on Wednesday, stating that the military was responsible for supervising the destruction of properties in the area.
The cleric added that the military men were no longer reachable to save people as tensions heightened within Mangu and its environs.
The Defence Headquarters on Thursday threatened to arrest Daluk and invited the cleric for interrogation over his comment against the military.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba said the DHQ was in the process of reaching out to the cleric to substantiate his allegations.
However, Daluk on Thursday said he would not withdraw the allegations against troops on the crisis nor would he honour any invitation by the military, according to The PUNCH.
Reacting to the Defence Headquarters’ invitation, the CAN said it was ready to defend the claims that the military was aiding killings in the state.
In an interview with The PUNCH in Jos, the Plateau State capital, the state chairman of CAN, Rev. Polycarp Lubo, said the association stands with the Daluk’s claim against the military.
Lubo said, “As an association, we stand by him (Daluk). He is an adult and he is a leader in Mangu. He knows what he has seen and he said he has evidence. He has reasons why he has said so. So, we cannot change what he has said.”
When asked whether the CAN leader had been invited by the military to defend the allegation, Lubo said, “No invitation yet. But we will stand by him.”
Also, Daluk said he would not withdraw the allegations against troops in the crisis.
Daluk said, “We are not withdrawing our allegations. And I don’t see the reason to honour any invitation by the Defence Headquarters. They should be the ones to come down to Mangu and see for themselves. The evidence is there, graves are there.”
On the allegation, Daluk said, “Before my eye, a soldier shot dead one of my people. I called others and reported them, they said the soldier was a fake troop. Whether fake or what, they (the soldiers) are the ones responsible for differentiating.”