The actor John Cleese has criticised the world’s silence and lack of response to the massacre of Christians in Nigeria.

In a social media post the former ‘Monty Python’ star said: “It looks rather as though Black Lives Don’t Matter,” adding sarcastically that “writing about it would damage the image of the murderers who killed these poor people.”

He was responding to the killings of at least 33 Christians over Holy Week and Easter.

26 people were killed on Easter Sunday when suspected Fulani militants launched simultaneous attacks on Christian communities in two villages in Benue State.

On the same day, seven people were killed when two churches in Ariko village, Kaduna State, were attacked. Multiple people were injured. The violence transformed a day of celebration, peace and reflection into mourning and displacement.

A week earlier, on Palm Sunday, at least 27 people were killed in a predominantly Christian village in Plateau State. Not all the victims were Christian.

Anti-persecution watchdog Open Doors said that restriction of movement and a climate of fear are affecting the church’s ability to function properly in Nigeria and are having a significant impact on Christian communities. Many churches are having to spend increasing amounts of money on security forces, because of the escalation of violence.

Cleese’s comments about Nigeria follow previous social media messages in recent weeks about his concern over a growth in radical Islam. In a post on X he wrote: “The UK has always been based at the deepest level on Christian values, regardless of dogma. Despite the many mistakes made by churches, for centuries British people have been influenced by Christ's teaching. If these values are replaced by Islamic ones, this will not be Britain anymore."

This week the US announced it had begun enforcing visa restrictions on perpetrators of religious freedom offences. The laws were brought in as a response to violence against Christians in Nigeria and around the world.