A renewed wave of Islamic terror struck Nigeria’s Middle Belt in April and May 2025, leaving scores of Christians dead and thousands displaced. In a particularly brutal series of assaults in late May, Fulani Muslim militants opened fire across multiple locations in Benue State. On May 24, Father Solomon Atongo was shot in the leg on his return from a memorial service in Gwer West Local Government Area. His two passengers were abducted. That same day, a Christian farmer was murdered on his land. The violence intensified on May 25, when 20 Christians were massacred in Aondona. The attackers, identified as Fulani Muslim militants, fired indiscriminately, targeting Christians and forcing residents to flee. Religious clergy in the village managed to escape and take shelter in a nearby church.
The Christian community is being massacred in Nigeria. This is a story that desperately needs more attention.
Muslim Terrorists attacked a Christian village, causing numerous deaths among Christians. pic.twitter.com/c2ExYlSOfI
— Faraz Pervaiz (@FarazPervaiz3) June 6, 2025
On May 26, five Christians were murdered in Tse Orbiam, followed by six more in Ahume, both in Gwer West. Among the victims was a Mobile Police Officer. In a final attack that day on the Naka-Adoka Road, Fulani militants opened fire on residents and travellers, killing one and injuring six. The community of Yelewata in Guma LGA was also targeted: three members of one family, including a two-year-old child, were killed while the mother sustained serious injuries. Elsewhere, a 67-year-old Christian farmer was beaten and his cassava farm destroyed.
April 2025: Massacres and Displacement in Plateau State
On the night of April 13, a Christian community in Bassa, Plateau State, was attacked, resulting in the deaths of 43 people. This followed a string of earlier attacks beginning March 24, when three Christian farmers were murdered on their farmland. Three days later, 11 Christians were killed during a funeral, including a pregnant woman and a ten-year-old girl. On April 2, five Christian women were slaughtered while gathering for fellowship.
It seems the frequency of jihadist attacks in #Nigeria is matched only by the infrequency of successful prosecutions against the perpetrators. And even when these attacks take place near military bases, the response times are disturbingly slow.https://t.co/zlNJhiccrd#Christian
— International Christian Concern (@persecutionnews) June 4, 2025
Since the end of March, Muslim jihadi groups, primarily Fulani militants, launched attacks on eight communities in Bokkos and Bassa local government areas, killing at least 113 people and displacing over 3,000. In total, more than 300 homes were destroyed, and six people remain missing. The onslaught continued with an April 8 report confirming over 60 Christians killed in the prior week. A separate report the following day detailed additional murders and village destruction.
Continued Genocidal Campaign in Plateau and Benue States
Muslim jihadi forces, primarily Fulani militants, have been systematically targeting Christian farming communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt. Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State categorised the violence not as communal clashes, but as a deliberate campaign of genocide. The local government areas of Bokkos and Mangu have reportedly been under siege for over a year, with weekly incidents of murder, abduction, and village destruction.
Since December, 136 communities in Plateau State alone have suffered attacks by Islamist Fulani militias. Out of these, 79 communities have been left completely deserted. Local witnesses from the Bokkos area recounted how, during an attack on Hurti village, security forces briefly intervened to collect bodies, only for the militants to return and resume the massacre. Churches and homes were burned, women and children were slaughtered, and entire communities were wiped out.
Islamist attack from Al-Queda allies leaves 26 Catholics slain in Burkina Faso, during mass.
200 others were murdered and 140 injured in the town of Barsalogho.
If this was Palestine it would be national news, as it’s Christians the media don’t care.
We won’t be silent. pic.twitter.com/juTkNycQZW
— Disciples Of Christ (@ChristSavesUK) August 28, 2024
During Christmas Eve in 2023, one of the worst attacks in recent memory occurred, resulting in the deaths of around 200 Christians. These massacres have left Christian populations in constant fear, unable to attend school, farm their land, or worship in churches. Reports from survivors describe daily kidnappings, molestation, and rape of Christian women in remote areas.
Long-Term Impact on Displacement and Humanitarian Conditions
According to Amnesty International Nigeria, 6,896 killings were recorded in Benue State, with another 2,630 in Plateau State. The same report noted that 672 villages were sacked across Benue, Plateau, and Kaduna, primarily Christian-majority farming regions. Communities such as Gwer West, Guma, Logo, Agatu, and Apa have faced repeated attacks over the last five years. Even towns like Naka, once considered safe, are now under assault.
The humanitarian fallout is staggering. Thousands of internally displaced people now seek refuge in schools, churches, and open spaces without access to food, clean water, or medical aid. Local aid groups report being overwhelmed, while arrests and prosecutions remain almost non-existent. Investigations into the identity and networks of the perpetrators are ongoing, but no progress has been reported.
Mozambique: Islamist militants linked to ISIS have increased their attacks against Christians in 2024. They have burned homes and churches. They have also demanded Christians convert, pay the jizya tax or be killed. Hundreds of Christians are fleeing the country's north. Pray. pic.twitter.com/pvHHcP2IZd
— Christian Emergency Alliance (@ChristianEmerg1) February 19, 2024
In letters to state leaders, including Benue State Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, local organisations such as Benue Concern Youths have expressed their frustration, stating that innocent lives continue to be lost with no accountability or protection.
Religious Motive and Global Indifference
The jihadi violence in Nigeria is often framed as a conflict over land and resources. However, substantial evidence points to a clear religious motive behind the attacks. Groups like the Fulani jihadis, Boko Haram, and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) are driven by radical Islamic ideologies aimed at establishing a caliphate under Sharia law.
The pattern of attacks, particularly during Christian holy periods like State mas and Easter, reflects a targeted campaign. On Christmas Eve 2023, nearly 200 Christians were murdered. In 2024, 95% of Christians killed in religious conflict globally were in sub-Saharan Africa, with Nigeria alone accounting for more than half the deaths. These figures exclude the thousands injured, raped, abducted, or displaced.
BREAKING:
At least 15 Christians were murdered in an Islamist attack on a Catholic church in Essakane in northern Burkina Faso during today’s Sunday mass.
Any protest marches planned in London? pic.twitter.com/Lv5KCClXdK
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) February 26, 2024
Despite mounting evidence, Western governments, media, and NGOs have often downplayed the religious aspect of the conflict. While global institutions raise loud and sustained outcries over Gaza, they remain conspicuously silent on the systematic massacres of Christians in Nigeria and across Africa. Meanwhile, millions of displaced Christians continue to live in camps with little hope of returning to their homes. The attacks by Islamic militant groups continue with impunity, pushing Christian communities into deeper vulnerability and trauma, while the world looks away.
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