Over 200 killed, 3,000 made homeless in attack on Christians in Nigeria

Islamist Fulani militants killed over 200 Christians in the central Nigerian state of Benue on June 14, marking the most extensive attack yet by the terror group.

Vatican News reported most of those killed were displaced people who were being hosted by the local Catholic mission.  

“I pray security, justice and peace will prevail in Nigeria, a beloved country, and so affected by various forms of violence,” said Pope Leo XIV in a post on X, calling out the violence in Benue against Christians especially.  

Pope Leo made his remarks just prior to the Sunday Angelus prayer.  

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned the attacks perpetrated over the weekend, calling on Nigerian authorities to quickly catch the killers. 

“The Secretary-General condemns the killing of innocent civilians, including in Nigeria, and we hope that those responsible for this violence will be found and apprehended,” said a spokesperson for the U.N.  

International wire service Reuters downplayed the number of killed as “at least 100” and, as in previous attacks, described the attacks as a feud between herders and farmers over land. 

Reuters published a firsthand account of one of the survivors, complete with gruesome photos of the burned-out buildings, and made it through the entire article without once using the word Christian or Catholic.  

The wire service called the murders “a brutal attack by unidentified gunmen,” while blaming previous attacks on “herders.” 

According to a local Catholic organization, witnesses said the terrorists set fire to the buildings while the refugees were sleeping and attacked anybody who tried to flee with machetes while shouting “God is great!” 

The town’s parish priest, Father Ukuma Jonathan Angbianbee, escaped by dropping to the floor, but said when he saw the Muslim militants attacking, he fully expected to die. 

“What I saw was truly gruesome. People were slaughtered. Corpses were scattered everywhere,” said the priest.  

Father Jonathan said there was no doubt the Fulani terrorists were behind the attack. 

“There is no question about who carried out the attack. They were definitely Fulanis. They were shouting ‘Allahu Akbar,’” he said.  

The latest attack left 3,000 homeless, bringing the total to nearly 7,000 who have been kicked out of their homes by Islamic violence this year.   

“As of last night, displacement figures stood at 1,069 households, comprising 6,527 individuals. Among them are 1,768 females, 759 males, 657 children under 18, 1,870 adults above 18, 252 lactating mothers, 82 pregnant women, and 91 elderly persons,” said Nigeria’s Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). 

The attack was condemned by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who directed security chiefs to end the menace, said AllAfrica.com.  

Similar promises of a crackdown on the Fulani have been made previously by Nigeria’s president but have largely rung hollow.  

Nigerian youth took to the streets in protest against the government inaction, but were dispersed by teargas, reported AllAfrica.  

In April and May, The Lion reported on similar attacks on local Christian farmers in Nigeria, noting in each case the government was complacent about catching the criminals. 

At least 113 people had been killed by Islamic Fulani terrorists during the Easter season. 

Those attacks also involved gunmen who drove their victims out into the open and then used machetes to chop them up, a well-known Fulani tactic. 

“These attacks appear to be well coordinated and have the trappings of terrorism by insurgents who are bent on fostering a regime of violence, religious intolerance and total anarchy. This is unacceptable,” said Secretary General Rev. Kallamu Musa of the Christian Rights Agenda in a statement, according to local Vanguard News.    

The latest attack marks a significant escalation of the violence against Christians in the central region of Nigeria. 

One local leader, the Rev. Danjuma Byang, said Fulani terrorists have wiped out about 60 of the 200 Christian villages in the region. 

“There is a grand design to destabilize Plateau State, and those carrying out these attacks have another goal – to ensure that the more than 200 Christian communities are wiped out,” Byang said. 

The population of Nigeria is 54% Muslim, and 46% Christian, according to the latest CIA Factbook. 

Photo: AP/Samson Omale, used under license.