Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, a senior cleric with the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) and regional chairman in Barkin Ladi LGA, Plateau State, has publicly shared his alleged involvement in a bank robbery in Jos in 1980, framing it as part of a dramatic turnaround through a personal encounter with Jesus Christ.
In a recent interview with a foreign media outlet, the controversial clergyman who is known for his outspoken advocacy on issues affecting Christians in Nigeria's Middle Belt described being part of a gang that robbed a bank in Jos, Plateau State. He said the operation, led by his best friend at the time, netted a substantial amount of money.
Dachomo recounted a vivid spiritual experience that he said occurred around that period: “He [Jesus] came to my room while I was sleeping. I didn’t know that I was operating with 14 demons until Jesus encountered me. That night there was war. He came with seven angels. I was just an observer, seeing the drama that is being done on my life. Jesus ordered the seven angels to strike the enemy. In fact, they were killed instantly.”
He continued: “I took the covers of those images that were killed and I covered myself as if I’m dead. But the master Jesus said there was somebody that we have not killed. Go, fish him out. When they were coming, booting other corpses, then I had to stand up and begin to beg. I was asking for forgiveness. Forgive me, forgive me. I will never do that again.”
The cleric stated that the encounter broke his addiction to smoking and marked a decisive shift, leading him to abandon his criminal past and pursue a religious calling. “I didn’t know that I would come and encounter God and God really helped me. That day that I encountered Jesus, I went outside. I tried my best to smoke cigarette or cool it. The power of smoking was broken in my life,” he said.
The confession has sparked mixed reactions online and in religious circles. Some view it as a powerful testimony of redemption and transformation, while others question its details and have called for verification of the events from nearly 46 years ago.
Sheikh Yusuf Haruna Baban Chinedu, popularly known as Baban Chinedu, strongly disputed Dachomo’s account in a viral response video. He accused the pastor of fabricating the story and described him as transitioning from a “practical, street-level bandit” to a “spiritual bandit” who incites religious conflict.
Baban Chinedu claimed: “He is lying! It was a gun that shot them! Angels? He claims Jesus came down with seven angels who struck them and killed fourteen people while he hid in the blood? ... No Jesus descended there; he is lying to you.”
He alleged that Dachomo was actually shot during the incident, still bears a scar on his left side, and was rescued by a gang member named Emmanuel rather than through divine intervention. The sheikh further asserted that the shooting was carried out by Nigerian police (MOPOL) and challenged Dachomo to take the matter to court if the allegations were false.
Dachomo has not been convicted of the alleged 1980 robbery, and no independent historical records of the specific bank heist or his direct involvement have been widely corroborated in public reports.
His claims have nonetheless gone viral, fueling debates about personal redemption narratives, accountability for past actions, and religious testimonies in Nigeria’s complex socio-religious landscape.
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