Eight Christians were killed and more than 740 acres of farmland destroyed in a series of coordinated attacks by suspected Fulani militias on Christian farming communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, according to local officials and eyewitnesses.
The attacks, which occurred late on 14th May, primarily targeted the Wereng camp in Riyom County, Plateau state. Witnesses described a midnight assault in which gunmen opened fire on homes as families slept. Survivors said the elderly and children made up the majority of the victims.
“Most of those killed were the elderly and children,” one witness told International Christian Concern. “They had no chance to escape.”
Local officials have denounced the attacks as part of a broader, systematic campaign to displace Christian communities in the region through violence and economic disruption.
“This is not a farmer-herder clash—it is a genocidal campaign,” said Dr Joshua Riti, a Bassa County administrator. “Our communities are being wiped out methodically.”
Community leaders allege that the Nigerian military has failed to protect Christian residents and, in some cases, has shown bias in favour of the herdsmen.
“If a cow dies, we’re arrested. But when our homes are burned, no one is held accountable,” said Sunday Tanko, a local farmer.
The Irigwe people, an indigenous Christian farming group, are among the hardest hit. The destruction of farmland threatens their food security and cultural survival.
“These attacks are calculated,” warned Hon John Araye, a former Bassa official. “Without government intervention and a ban on open grazing, our people have no future.”
Local leaders are appealing to the international Christian community for urgent advocacy, humanitarian aid and prayer.
“This is organised, premeditated violence,” said Dr Riti. “If the world remains silent, Christian communities like the Irigwe may disappear entirely.”
In April 2025, members of the UK Parliament raised alarms over the escalating persecution of Christians in Nigeria, urging the British government to address the root causes of the violence through its security and defence partnership with Nigeria.
However, some lawmakers and advocacy groups have criticised the UK’s response as inadequate.