Jun 17, 2025
Over 200 Christian civilians, including children, women, and the elderly, were brutally killed in a series of coordinated attacks by armed Fulani militants in Nigeria’s Middle Belt during the days surrounding the country’s Democracy Day holiday. The violence, which began on the evening of June 11 and continued into the early hours of June 13, targeted Christian farming communities in Plateau and Benue states. In one such attack, four villagers—among them a 9-month-old infant—were ambushed and killed with machetes near Nkiedonwro village as they returned from the fields. Two others were seriously injured. Just two days later, militants launched a devastating midnight assault in Yelwata, Benue State, where entire families, including internally displaced persons seeking refuge in market stalls, were burned alive when the attackers set their shelters on fire.
Local leaders and witnesses described the attack on Yelwata as highly coordinated, with militants surrounding the village from multiple directions. The same night, suspected militants attacked a nearby military post, killing at least two soldiers, though reports suggest the toll could be higher. Authorities have confirmed the assaults but withheld official casualty numbers. Meanwhile, similar ambushes have become increasingly common in Plateau state, with local youth leaders warning that such attacks often foreshadow mass killings. Data compiled by a local NGO shows that Fulani militants have assaulted 65 communities in Irigwe Chiefdom since 2001, with 2021 marking the most violent year. Despite ongoing violence, security forces are being accused of failing to act swiftly, with survivors claiming troops near Yelwata never responded during the hours-long massacre. The violence, occurring during Nigeria’s Democracy Day observance, has sparked renewed outrage over impunity, the targeting of Christian farmers, and the growing insecurity in the region.
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SOURCE: International Christian Concern