(ZENIT News – Persecution / Nigeria, 07.21.2026).- At least 25 Christians, including a 2-month-old, were killed in separate attacks in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region.
The first attack occurred on Saturday night, July 11, in the Kum and Wereng-Comp communities of Ryom County in Plateau state. Residents told International Christian Concern (ICC) that the Fulani entered the community around 11:30 p.m.
“We got a security alert on social media that Fulani are attacking us on Sunday,” said a local, who wished to remain anonymous. “We’re on alert but not prepared since we don’t have guns. The man said nine people were killed and buried on Sunday in a mass grave.
The nine people killed belonged to the same Christian family, he added.
“Why would the terrorist kill an infant?” the man asked. “This was to wipe out all the Christians.”
Among those killed was the village’s leader. The local said the Fulani planned to kill their leader, occupy the land for grazing, and establish an Islamic caliphate in the region.
“Our village head is critically injured; the Fulani want to kill him just because he is saying the truth during meetings. He emphasized that he doesn’t want Fulani grazing and destroying our crops on the farm.”
The National Publicity Secretary of the Berom Youth Molders Association confirmed the attack in a press release. He said the attack occurred near a Nigerian army checkpoint and that the army failed to respond, despite the arrival of the Fulani in large numbers.
Another Attack in Benue
Hours later, armed assailants attacked the Nobi community in Otukpo Local Government Area in Benue state. Residents said the raid began between 3:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 12, when gunmen opened fire and set some property ablaze.
Comfort Inalegwu, a resident who joined demonstrations after the attack, said at least 16 people were killed. She said her sister and two of her sister’s children were shot inside their home and later taken to the General Hospital mortuary in Otukpo. Several people were injured, while families continued searching for residents whose whereabouts were unknown.
Casualty figures from Nobi differed. Benue police reported eight deaths and five injuries, while Amnesty International Nigeria said at least 10 people had been killed. Local witnesses continued to place the toll at 16. Police said additional officers were deployed and that an investigation had begun.
Women and youth blocked sections of the Makurdi-Otukpo and Enugu-Otukpo highways, as well as roads near the palace of the Och’Idoma. Demonstrators demanded improved protection, arrests, and prosecution of those responsible. Some women said they would continue protesting and could boycott election activities if attacks persisted.
Benue Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned the killings in a statement issued through his chief press secretary, Tersoo Kula. He directed security agencies to increase surveillance in vulnerable communities, coordinate with neighboring states, and pursue those responsible for the attack.
No group had publicly claimed responsibility for either attack at the time of reporting. Residents and community representatives attributed the assaults to suspected armed Fulani militants, but authorities had not publicly established the identity, motive, or organizational affiliation of the attackers.
Benue and Plateau lie within Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where predominantly Christian farming communities have experienced repeated raids, displacement, destruction of homes, and loss of farmland. Violence in the region has been linked to several overlapping factors, including land disputes, criminal activity, ethnic tensions, religious hostility, and the movement of armed groups.
In June 2025, about 150 people were killed in an attack on the Yelwata community in Benue. Nigerian prosecutors later filed terrorism-related charges against nine men accused of planning and supporting that assault.
Families affected by the latest attacks are seeking security, medical assistance for survivors, help locating missing relatives, and support for displaced residents. Community leaders are also asking federal and state authorities to publish the findings of investigations, maintain a sustained security presence in exposed villages, and ensure that suspects are brought before a court.
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