Armed Fulani militias launched a series of coordinated assaults on Christian villages in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State on October 14, killing at least 13 people and wounding several others. The attackers, reportedly driven by extremist ideology, struck the villages of Rawuru, Tatu, and Lawuru—communities known for their Christian populations. Witnesses from Rawuru’s mission center described the gunmen storming their compound during evening prayers, shooting indiscriminately and killing two worshippers on the spot before advancing toward Tatu, where ten more were slain. In Lawuru, two additional victims were killed, livestock was stolen, and farmlands were destroyed. Local residents said they had warned security forces days earlier about threats from armed herders, but no action was taken. By morning, crops and homes lay in ashes, and terrified survivors fled into neighboring communities.

At a mass burial held in Rachas village, local officials and community leaders condemned the attacks as part of a calculated campaign to displace Christian populations from their ancestral lands. Barkin Ladi chairman Stephen Gyang Pwajok denounced the killings as “unprovoked,” while district leader Da Paul Tadi-Tok urged tighter regulations to restrict non-resident herders and called for the revival of Operation Rainbow, a community-based security force. Despite government assurances that reinforcements are being trained, fear and frustration dominate the region, where repeated massacres in recent years have claimed hundreds of lives. Church leaders continue to plead for international attention and humanitarian support, warning that the silence of authorities emboldens further bloodshed. As the harvest season approaches—a time when Christian farmers are often targeted—many now live in constant uncertainty, clinging to faith amid devastation and displacement.

SOURCE: ICC