By Ekani Olikita
(Makurdi) On another Black Sunday in Benue State, local Catholics are talking about the scores who escaped death due to a Security Alert by TruthNigeria.
Fulani Islamist militia unleashed another round of shooting and slashing on two counties, killing 41 Christian residents. Their goal: to clear out the native Christian settlers so that Muslim herders can occupy the vacated land.
But many lives were saved by advance warning of the attack on the TruthNigeria website, according to Morgan Oche, an Elder from Edikwu-Olegijamu, a community near the town at the epicenter of the Sunday attack.
Morgan told TruthNigeria that the Security Alert prevented killing in their community and its environs.
“I was on internet, and I saw a Security Alert from TruthNigeria website of ongoing attack on our neighboring community of Edikwu-Ankpali,” he said.
“I alerted our people, and they quickly deserted their homes and relocated to Ugbokpo, Apa Local Government (county) headquarter. When the Fulani terrorists came to our community after attacking Edikwu-Ankpali, they saw no one to kill and they left,” Morgan said.
Similarly, Steven Abaji, an Elder from Naka, Gwer-West County also thanked TruthNigeria for reducing number of casualties in the Naka attack.
“The Security Alert by TruthNigeria was shared to different platforms, and we informed our people to stay indoors. More than 50 Fulani terrorists who invaded our town should have killed many, but they succeeded in killing only three”, Abaji said.
The affected communities include Tse-Alaaigyu, Tse-Antswam and Naka town in Gwer-West County and Edikwu-Ankpali precinct in Apa county.
The coordinated and simultaneous attacks in the late hours of Sunday, June 1st, 2025, resulted in the death of 5 persons at Tse-Alaaigyu, 8 at Tse-Antswam and 3 in Naka town in Gwer-West County and 25 in Edikwu-Ankpali community in Apa county nearby.
The attacks are coming just a week after the gruesome murder of more than 20 Catholic Worshippers, abduction of Rev. Fr Peter Shima, the Priest of St. Peters Catholic Parish and some Claretian Sisters by Fulani Jihadists from Aondoana Community, Bishop Anagbe’s Village, which is just 4km South of Naka, Gwer-West County Headquarter on Sunday, May 25, 2025.
The Fulani ethnic Militia have intensified their killing sprees in Benue State, particularly in Gwer-West, the home county of Bishop Anagbe, who gave a much-covered testimony to a U.S. Congressional Committee March 12 where he revealed systematic persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
He accused the Nigerian government of failing to act against what he described as a violent plan to reduce the Christian population and end Christianity in the country.
Gwer-West, a fertile agricultural region, is nearly 100 percent Christian (92 percent Catholic), known for producing rice, yams, cassava, millet, and fish. It lies 54 km southwest of Makurdi and 249 km from Nigeria’s capital, Abuja.
Similarly, the neighboring Apa County, with headquarters in Ugbokpo, is located 52 miles (84km) Southwest of Makurdi and 133 miles (214km) South of Abuja.
The Black Sunday’s Massacre in Gwer- West County
An eyewitness and native of Naka town, Dr Damian Attah, in an interview with TruthNigeria said, “about 55 well-armed Fulani terrorists, speaking Hausa and Fulfude (the common languages spoken by Fulani Ethnic Group in Nigeria) and shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’, stormed Tse-Alaaigyu, Tse-Antswam around 8 pm local time (19 GMT).
“They were shooting and killing anybody on sight, chasing others to the nearby bushes and killing them in the process,” Attah said. “At least 5 corpses were recovered at Tse-Alaaigyu and 8 at Tse-Antswam shortly after the attacks,” Attah added.
“An hour later at about 9 pm local time (20 GMT), the same group of terrorists came close to overrunning Naka, Gwer-West County headquarter as they shot sporadically, killing 3 persons at Naka Earth Down. The death toll in Naka was low because residents got Security Alert of imminent attack on the town and took cover before the arrival of the attackers,” Attah added.
“My Brother escaped Fulani Attack from Village, got killed by Fulani in Naka last night”– A Victim’s Brother and Eyewitness
Francis Akawe Dooden, an eyewitness and a brother to one of the victims from Akawe village, who narrowly escaped death during the attack on Naka, in a phone interview with TruthNigeria, gave a Heart-wrenching story of how his brother, Monday Dooden was slashed to death by Fulani Jihadists.
“It was about 9:05 pm (20:05 GMT), while my brother and I were returning home after evening activities in the church, we were shot by Fulani terrorists who blocked Naka-Earth-Dam Road. My brother died instantly, and I managed to escape with minor gunshot wounds.
“We relocated from our village, Akawe to Naka town for safety over 10 years ago due to frequent attacks by Fulani Militia but unfortunately, my brother Monday was still killed by same monsters we ran away from,” Francis said.
Gwer-West County Chairman Speaks
County Chairman of Gwer-West, Victor Torsar Ormin confirmed the attacks, saying “death is coming closer to our people in the only two safe communities, Naka and Agagbe as every second passes by.”
“After killing more than 20 of my people in Aondoana last Sunday, the Fulani Jihadists again returned back this Sunday, ambushing my people at Tse-Antswam, Tse-Alaaigyu and Naka, killing many residents but we have so far recovered 11 corpses and deposited them in the morgue,” Ormin added.
“The military are not taking order from me as they claim they were not given mandate to go after Fulani terrorists that are killing my people, but the same military are going after our youths, arresting or shooting them anytime they arm themselves to defend our people,” the County Chairman told TruthNigeria.
“At least 90% of the entire Gwer-West, 15 out of 15 Council wards are under Fulani Captivity.
“The Jihadists who plan most of their attacks in Rukubi in Doma and Agyeregu in Obi Local Government (counties) of Nasarawa State, are hellbent to take over our land, establish Islamic caliphates and enslave our people but we cannot allow them to achieve their plans”, Ormin said.
The Massacre in Apa County: How 25 Christian Residents were Killed in Edikwu-Ankpali–Eyewitness
An Eyewitness and an inhabitant of Edikwu-Ankpali, Bernard Ekah, in an interview with TruthNigeria said, it was a bloodbath on Sunday in his community
“More than 25 persons were killed in my community, Edikwu-Ankpali on Sunday, June 1st, 2025, at about 8:15 pm (19:15 GMT). We just buried 11 corpses this morning.
“The Death Toll was high because the attack took place on Sunday, the day our people who are 99 percent Christians were staying at home to attend church services. Our people were taken unaware because they were deceived by Fulani Militia that, they had no problem with our people”
Apa County Chairman Speaks
County Chairman of Apa County, Hon Ogwola Ochega, in his reaction to the attack in an interview with TruthNigeria, decried the incessant killing of his people.
“Fulani Terrorists have intensified the killing of our people since we gave them an ultimatum to leave our land because of the Ceaseless killing of our people, destructions of our crops and farmlands. All they want is, send away our people from their ancestral homes, takeover their land and set-up emirate councils”, Ogwola said.
Ekani Olikita is a conflict reporter for TruthNigeria.
