Assaults on Christians Proceed in Central Nigeria
Jerry John, killed by Fulani herdsmen on Might 7, 2025 in Otukpo County, Benue state, Nigeria. (Fb)
ABUJA, Nigeria (Christian Day by day Worldwide–Morning Star Information) – Fulani herdsmen killed two Christians in central Nigeria on Wednesday (Might 7) after killing 10 others in the identical space the earlier month, sources mentioned.
The herdsmen killed two Christian farmers in Otabi-Alpa village, in Benue state’s Otukpo County, mentioned Marvis Ejeh, a member of the Agatu Native Authorities Council; the 2 Christians have been from Agatu County, although their farms are in Otukpo County, he mentioned.
One of many slain Christians was Tony Adejoh, village head of predominantly Christian Odugbeho group, and Ejeh recognized the opposite sufferer as Jerry John.
“Each have been engaged on their farms within the Otobi-Akpa after they have been ambushed and killed by armed herdsmen,” Eneh advised Christian Day by day Worldwide-Morning Star Information.
Space resident Noah Unogwu additionally attributed the killings to Fulani herdsmen.
“How lengthy will this killing proceed in Christian communities?” Unogwu mentioned in a textual content message to Christian Day by day Worldwide-Morning Star Information.
Space resident David Okpe additionally despatched a textual content message in regards to the killings.
“The latest assault by Fulani herdsmen is so disheartening and inhumane to behold, as the extent at which properties have been destroyed and lives maimed is barbaric,” Okpe mentioned. “I ponder and picture why people will likely be unkind to their fellow people to this extent. Safety businesses want do extra to curtail this stage of incessant assaults on Christian communities.”
Fulani herdsmen additionally invaded Otukpo County’s Otobi-Akpa space on April 13, killing 10 Christians, space residents mentioned. Patrick Godwin mentioned the assailants have been Fulani herdsmen.
“A lot of Christians have been killed, and homes have been destroyed,” Godwin advised Christian Day by day Worldwide-Morning Star Information in a textual content message. “The group was attacked within the night at about 6 p.m.”
Agbo Kennedy, a member of the Benue State Home of Meeting, mentioned 10 Christians have been killed within the assault.
“The assault in opposition to Christians within the Otobi-Akpa group is appalling and gory,” Kenney mentioned. “Youngsters as younger as 5 years outdated have been killed. Corpses of the victims had bullet wounds and machetes cuts. The outdated, each ladies and men, have been slaughtered of their houses as most had returned from their farms that night round 6 p.m.”
Catherine Anene, spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, confirmed the assaults in Otobi-Akpa.
“The Benue State Commissioner of Police has ordered the deployment of extra police personnel to the world,” Anene mentioned. “We are able to guarantee the individuals of the world that their attackers will likely be tracked, traced and arrested to face the wrath of the regulation.”
Numbering within the thousands and thousands throughout Nigeria and the Sahel, predominantly Muslim Fulani comprise a whole lot of clans of many alternative lineages who don’t maintain extremist views, however some Fulani do adhere to radical Islamist ideology, the UK’s All-Celebration Parliamentary Group for Worldwide Freedom or Perception (APPG) famous in a 2020 report.
“They undertake a comparable technique to Boko Haram and ISWAP and exhibit a transparent intent to focus on Christians and potent symbols of Christian identification,” the APPG report states.
Christian leaders in Nigeria have mentioned they imagine herdsmen assaults on Christian communities in Nigeria’s Center Belt are impressed by their need to forcefully take over Christians’ lands and impose Islam as desertification has made it tough for them to maintain their herds.
Nigeria remained among the many most harmful locations on earth for Christians, in accordance with Open Doorways’ 2025 World Watch Checklist of the international locations the place it’s most tough to be a Christian. Of the 4,476 Christians killed for his or her religion worldwide in the course of the reporting interval, 3,100 (69 %) have been in Nigeria, in accordance with the WWL.
“The measure of anti-Christian violence within the nation is already on the most attainable beneath World Watch Checklist methodology,” the report said.
Within the nation’s North-Central zone, the place Christians are extra widespread than they’re within the North-East and North-West, Islamic extremist Fulani militia assault farming communities, killing many a whole lot, Christians above all, in accordance with the report. Jihadist teams resembling Boko Haram and the splinter group Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), amongst others, are additionally energetic within the nation’s northern states, the place federal authorities management is scant and Christians and their communities proceed to be the targets of raids, sexual violence, and roadblock killings, in accordance with the report. Abductions for ransom have elevated significantly lately.
The violence has unfold to southern states, and a brand new jihadist terror group, Lakurawa, has emerged within the northwest, armed with superior weaponry and a radical Islamist agenda, the WWL famous. Lakurawa is affiliated with the expansionist Al-Qaeda insurgency Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin, or JNIM, originating in Mali.
Nigeria ranked seventh on the 2025 WWL listing of the 50 worst international locations for Christians.
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