At least 15 Christians have been killed in the Chakfem District of Plateau State, Nigeria, in a targeted attack.
An estimated 3000 believers have fled their homes in the latest spate of violence attributed to Fulani militants.
At around 7:30pm on Monday, 18th August, attackers entered the villages of Tim, Koppang, Mihidihin, Jiblang, Jilem, Jibin, and Manden. Weapons were fired, homes burned and livestock slaughtered.
Security personnel arrived at the scene the following morning, recovering multiple bodies from the streets and farmland.
The injured were taken to the Church of Christ in Nations Hospital in Chakfem. Some displaced residents said that they had to flee with no belongings after their food supplies and animals were destroyed in the attacks.
Bulus Dabit, national president of the Mwaghavul Development Association, criticised security forces for being slow to arrive. He told International Christian Concern: “By the time the security agents reached Chakfem, it was too late. The damage had already been done.”
Security forces claim the area’s rugged terrain made it difficult for them to access.
Nigeria is considered the seventh most dangerous nation in the world for Christians, according to the charity Open Doors. Despite having more legal religious freedom than other nations in the top 10, ongoing jihadist violence means more Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than in any other part of the world. Many are living in Internal Displacement Camps within the country.