After massacring at least 50 Christians in one area of Nigeria’s Plateau state in April, Pastor Fulani killed five more in the same county this week, sources said.
In Bassa County, residents say the Fulani herdsmen killed two Christians in the village of Nkienwhie on Wednesday (June 4) and two Christians in the village of Kwall on Tuesday (June 3).
“On June 3rd, three Christians were killed in the Kwalu community when they were ambushed and attacked by the Krani herdsmen,” local youth leader Joseph Yonkpa told Christian Daily International Morning Star News via text message. “Three victims were shot dead and injured in a machete at the same time.”
Yonkpa identified three murdered Christians as Ishaya, 37 on Sunday. Joshua Mishi, 51; and range Kpeh, 32.
On May 6, the Christian was shot dead, and in April, the herdsmen killed 50 Christians in one attack, he said.
“In April, more than 50 Christians were massacred by the Fulani militia of Zike Kimakpa, a predominantly Christian community,” Yonkpa said. “We have been a continuous target of Fulani militias for over 20 years, serving as the destruction of thousands of displaced people and unquantified number of property and farm crops,” he said.
He called for participation in demanding justice for Christians facing persecution in Plateau, including international organizations, international criminal courts, non-governmental organizations and individuals.
On May 30, the “Fulani militia” attacked the village of Kupatchudu and shot and wounded Ishaya Achi, a Christian who was undergoing treatment at Joss’ medical facility, he said. On May 14, the herdsmen committed a massive destruction of farm crops belonging to Christian farmers in the Ngbrrakunvu community, he added.
“This violence has led to the destruction of nearly 100 farms covering more than 40 hectares of cultivated land,” Yonkpa said. “This heinous act is not an isolated incident, but a recurring pattern of attacks and lawlessness that have been bothered by Christians and years of plaguing us, especially during the agricultural season.”
Despite the severity of such attacks, he said the perpetrators have consistently urged them to avoid justice and continue their destructive activities.
On May 14th, around 3pm, Fulani herdsmen attacked two Christian women in Rikwelish Village, where they worked on the farm. They are seeing doctors at Joss’ healthcare centre, he said. On May 10, the Fulani militia attacked the Kigam community around 4pm, killing two Christians. The person identified as Daniel Bawa, 45, was killed while he was working on the farm.
He said at 9am on the same day, mainly at Christian DTV Zanwa, Fulani herders attacked Christians in their homes, causing injury to two brothers, Mwainabari and Ilyazamibari. They are being treated for machete wounds.
Riyom Attack
The herds also attacked in Lyonm County on Wednesday (June 4th), where they killed at least 18 Christians in May.
Residents of Joll village in Lyom County sent a message of distress on Wednesday.
“Pray for Joll, in my village, Lyom Regional Government Area,” Zea Samuel said in a text message. “An attack by the Fulani herdsmen is ongoing.”
Resident Gankis Hagai said the armed herdsmen were increasing yet another attack on the rim during the day.
“This attack emphasizes the forced fear, pressure and terrifying Christians together every day,” Haggai said.
Judith Batua wrote: “My heart is heavy when I write this. The ongoing anxiety in Plateau state, especially the attacks on Christians of Boccos, Mango, Birkin Radi, Lyonum and Bassa, are amazing. The Fulani Terrorist attacks are responsible for our leadership attacks, Nigerian leaders.”
Before the JOL attack, the herdsmen attacked mainly Bachi villages in the Lyonum region on Sunday (June 1).
“It’s a black Sunday in the Lyom LGA Bachi community,” local Samuel Ayuba told Christian Daily International Morning Star News via text message. “One more dark day. Another community shedding tears. Innocent lives have been shortened, dreams have been silent, families have been torn apart. Will Christians continue to suffer like this?”
In mid-May in Velen, 12 Christians were killed in herdsmen’s attacks, and four others were killed in Chido village. Timothy Dunton, a spokesman for the Plateau provincial government, said the attacks in Velen began on May 13th. Fulani gunmen killed four Christians, and continued until the day after eight more Christians were killed.
“Veren, the Christian community in Lyon, has four Christians who were killed on Tuesday, May 13th,” Danton said. “The Fulani are the people who killed them. They killed eight Christians and the other Christian was injured. On May 14th, Fulani herdsmen attacked the community again, killed eight Christians and burned the house down.”
Solomon Dalyop, a lawyer and religious rights advocate, said that both the 200 suspected armed Fulani and the Fulani, who attacked the villages of Velen and Chido, destroyed the house.
Another band of herdsmen killed two Christian villagers in an ambush on May 13, said Pam Dun, a resident of the area.
“Two Christian villagers, Linus Davou and Tunde Daylop, were ambushed and killed by herdsmen from the Dachidom community around 10pm,” Dung said.
With millions of figures in Nigeria and Sahel, Fulani, primarily Muslim, constitute hundreds of clans of many different lines that do not hold the views of extremists, while some Fulani adhere to radical Islamist ideology, all party parliamentary groups (Appgs) in the UK for international freedom or beliefs.
“They are clearly intent to adopt a comparable strategy for Boko Haram and Iswap and target strong symbols of Christian and Christian identity,” the AppG report said.
Nigerian Christian leaders say they believe herdsmen’s attacks on the Christian community in the mid-zone of Nigeria are inspired by the desire to forcefully take over Islam as it forced Christian lands and made desertification difficult to maintain the flock.
According to Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List, Nigeria has remained one of the most dangerous places for Christians. According to WWL, of the 4,476 Christians killed for faith around the world during the reporting period, 3,100 (69%) were in Nigeria.
“The scale of anti-Christian violence in this country is already at the highest possible level under the global watch list methodology,” the report states.
In the north-central zone of the country, where Christians are more common than they are in the northeast and northwest, Islamic extremist Fulani militias attack farm communities, killing hundreds of Christians and, above all, hundreds of Christians. Jihadist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State (ISWAP) of West African states are also active in northern states in the country where federal control is scarce and Christians and their communities continue to be targeted for attacks, sexual violence and the killing of disability. Ransom aid has been increasing significantly in recent years.
The violence spreads across southern states, with new jihadist terrorist group Lakrawa appearing in the northwest, armed with sophisticated weapons and an extremist agenda, WWL noted. Lakrawa is affiliated with the expansionist al-Qaeda rebellion Jamaa Nusrat ul Islam Wa al-Muslimin, or Zinim, which is derived from Mali.
Nigeria ranked 7th in the 2025 WWL list of 50 countries that are the hardest to become a Christian.
