Islamist Attacks Claim Over 30 Lives in Benue State, Nigeria

Deadly Assaults Rock Benue Communities

More than 30 people have been killed in Nigeria's Benue State as Islamist terrorists carried out a series of violent attacks against Christian communities over three days in early February. The assaults, which included shootings and abductions, primarily impacted the Kwande and Apa Local Government Areas (LGAs).

The violence began on February 3 at Abande market in Kwande LGA, where sixteen civilians and a police officer, identified as Isaac Madu, were shot and killed. Just three days later, another 13 individuals lost their lives in the village of Anwase. On the same day, Fulani militia were responsible for the deaths of Matthew Ochanga and Isaac Adanu in the Akpete community of Apa LGA.

Abductions and Escalating Tensions

The wave of violence also saw the abduction of nine worshippers on Sunday, February 8, from an early morning prayer meeting. Witnesses reported that the attackers spoke 'Fulfulde ' and chanted 'Allahu Akbar' as they surrounded the congregation. This incident further highlights the escalating insecurity in the region.

Context of Ongoing Violence

These recent killings are part of a broader pattern of violence that Nigerian church leaders have described as a 'genocide' against Christians in the country. Estimates suggest that at least 45,000 Christians have been killed by Islamists in northern and Middle Belt Nigeria since 2009. Observers note a landscape of burned-out church buildings and 'broken crosses' in states like Plateau, suggesting an intent to 'erase every visible sign of Christianity'. The ongoing conflict is often characterized as a 'farmer-herder conflict,' a term some critics view as a 'diplomatic euphemism' that downplays the religious dimension of the attacks. Benue State itself has a predominantly Christian population, estimated at around 95%.