But Clerics Decry that 185 Christians Have Fallen in Nigeria’s Middle Belt
By Mike Odeh James
(Abuja) By nightfall in Northeastern Benue State as many as 500 Fulani Ethnic Militia have stormed into Ukum County in what is feared a coordinated attack on Catholic communities there.
Will Christian villages be defended? Few citizen guards have retained their rifles and shotguns since Catholic Bishop Dugu arranged surrenders of arms by armed bandits there in October of 2024. Some of those arms were carried by volunteer citizen watchmen, Ukum sources tell TruthNigeria.
Clerics and Security experts tell TruthNigeria that the toll of Christian lives since January has been extraordinary. A surge in deadly attacks by suspected Fulani ethnic militias has left at least 185 Christians dead across Nigeria’s Middle Belt between January and April 2025, according to local leaders and security officials.
More than 120 of those deaths occurred in less than two weeks, triggering widespread displacement and criticism of the government’s response.
Plateau State: Bokkos and Bassa Hit by Coordinated Assaults
In Plateau State, violence escalated in early April. Rev. Paul Luka of the Methodist Church reported that Fulani militants attacked Bokkos County on April 7, killing 66 people and displacing more than 3,000.
“Fulani terrorists riding motorcycles, armed with RPGs and AK-49 rifles, stormed communities and opened fire,” Luka told TruthNigeria. On April 13, militants attacked Jimakpa in Zike village, Bassa County.
Ezekiel Bini, President of the Irigwe Youths Association, said more than 55 people were killed. “The terrorists came on motorcycles and fired sporadically,” Bini said. “As of April 16, five people are still critically injured.”
Benue State: Otobi-Akpa Attacked at Dusk on April 15
Fulani gunmen stormed Otobi-Akpa in Benue State. William Agada Pablo, Civil Protection Guards commander, said at least 10 bodies were recovered, with more feared dead as search operations continued.
Southern Kaduna: Persistent Killings and Kidnappings in Southern Kaduna.
41 Christians were killed in Kajuru and Kauru Counties in January alone, according to residents. Survivors described coordinated night raids on homes and churches. Community leaders reported that millions of naira were paid in ransom between January and April, yet over 200 people remain missing.
Militancy Expands into Southern Nigeria
David Onyillokwu Idah, Director of the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC), said attacks by Fulani militias have extended beyond the Middle Belt into the Southwest and Southeast. “In Ekiti and Oyo States, entire Christian communities were wiped out in coordinated raids,” Idah said. “In March 2025, 22 Christians were killed in a market attack in Imo State. Eyewitnesses said the attackers shouted ‘Allahu Akbar,’ which points to jihadist motives.”
Idah warned that the violence is part of a broader agenda. “This isn’t just about land — it’s religious cleansing, driven by a strategy to Islamize Christian regions,” Idah said. “The government must allow states to defend themselves. If the North has “Hisbah” (Islamic rules enforcement) and the Southwest has Amotekun (Local Guards), the Middle Belt must be allowed to organize its own defense.”
Analysts Cite Global Jihadist Links
Friday Agbo, Director of the Northern-based Alter Consultant think tank, said the actions of Fulani militias increasingly mirror those of global jihadist groups.
“They’re not acting alone,” Agbo said. “They’re linked to groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP, and intelligence suggests they receive support from outside Nigeria, including Mali’s Macina Liberation Front.” Agbo said weapons and fighters cross Nigeria’s porous borders with ease, aided by weak governance and sympathetic regional networks.
Allegations of Complicity and Selective Justice
Kaduna-based cleric Rev. David Ayuba Azzaman accused the Nigerian government of selective justice. “When Muslim northerners were killed in Edo, arrests were swift,” Azzaman said. “But after Fulani terrorists slaughtered dozens in Plateau, not a single arrest was made. This imbalance is eroding public trust and national unity.” Agbo echoed that view, citing what he called “state-enabled impunity.” “Former Kaduna Governor Nasir el-Rufai admitted in 2016 to paying off foreign Fulani herders to avoid attacks,” Agbo said.
“That (news report) legitimized terrorism, and now the consequences are nationwide.”
Land Seizures, Settlements Fuel Conflict
Idah said the violence is also tied to land grabs. “In Plateau, Christian farmlands are being systematically seized and converted into Fulani settlements,” he said. “Government-backed migration policies and desertification are pushing nomadic herders southward, but the failure to manage it fairly has turned this into a crisis.”
A 2024 United Nations report cited similar trends, noting that the movement of pastoralists into southern Christian-majority regions has intensified tension and violence.
Calls for International Intervention
Scott Morgan, a Washington-based security analyst, described the violence as a “relentless campaign” against Christians. “I expected the Nigerian military to respond with drones, helicopters, and night vision equipment,” Morgan said. “But they’ve done nothing. It would be a first if these killers were ever brought to justice.”
Kyle Abts, Director of the U.S.-based International Committee on Nigeria (ICON), called for Nigeria’s re-designation as a Country of Particular Concern under the U.S. International Religious Freedom Act. “The killings in Plateau and Benue are a heartbreaking reminder of how insecure these communities are,” Abts said. “Despite the scale of the atrocities, no meaningful arrests have been made.” ICON is lobbying in Washington for the passage of House Resolution 220 and continued international pressure on Nigeria. “We are amplifying the voices of vulnerable communities and demanding real accountability,” Abts said. “Justice must not just be promised—it must be delivered.”
Mike Odeh James is a conflict reporter for TruthNigeria.
