Fulani herdsmen attacked two villages in Kaduna state in northwestern Nigeria on Sunday (September 7), killing eight Christians and injuring nine.
Regional resident Timothy Kimbe said the herdsmen attacked the villages of Wake and Gadanaji in Katia County from 5am to 6am.
“What a black Sunday for Khachia Christians,” Kimbe told Christian Daily International Morning Star News. “The Fulani Muslim herdsmen killed eight Christians in Wake and Gadanaj and injured nine other Christians.”
Kimbe identified the killed as Elisha Pius, Japhet Bitrus, Obadia Joshua, Luca Augustine, Paul Augustine, Ezekiel Augustine, Ishaya Paul and Bawa Brus. He said those injured were Sanda Ishaya Christopher, Zakaria Anthony, Sunday Neuf, Gideon Pius, Gregory Moses, Livinus Gabriel, Godday Clement, Ishak Elisha and Godday Clement.
Plateau State Attack
In the nearby Plateau province, herdsmen attacked 11 villages in the Quang Pan area, burning more than 30 homes and expelling at least 300 Christians, sources said.
Nteng, Doop, Zhep Morop, Gyeergu, Kelaghan, Loon, Kwakii and Gorom were part of the Doemak district and part of the villages that were attacked.
Council Chairman Christopher Mansy has held a stakeholder meeting and called on residents to be vigilant, Silvanus said in a press statement.
“Manship lamented the attack and urged traditional rulers, religious leaders and development associations to work towards a permanent solution to the attack,” Silvanus said. “The Chair has mobilized security agencies to affected areas so that the situation is under control. We are tirelessly working to restore peace and normality in our communities.”
Alfonsos Komsol, a former parliamentary MP in the Parliamentary region, described the attack as “wild acts, inhumane and unacceptable.” During the press conference, he urged affected Christians to be vigilant and united in protecting their communities, avoiding actions that could escalate tensions.
Plateau State Assembly member Joe Bukar said on September 4 that Plateau State Assembly member deliberated on the security situation in the Quarn Pan Regional Government Area and called on Nigerian government authorities to take immediate action against armed looters.
“We discussed the disturbing attack in Nteng, Domac district of Kuaan Pan LGA, where lives were lost, houses were destroyed and families were evacuated,” Bukar said. “We unanimously called on the federal government, parliament and security agencies to act urgently to restore peace, and at the same time urge the Plateau State Emergency Management Agency (Plasema) to provide relief to victims.”
A statement from the Plateau State Assemblyman regarding the attack in Kuaan Pan called on the Nigerian government to immediately halt the herdsmen’s attack.
“The Plateau State Assembly raised concerns about an increase in coordinated attacks on the community of Nteng, Doemak district, Qua’an-Pan Local Government Area. “This motion was moved under the issue of postponement by members representing Owen Dagogot of Qua’an-Pan North Constituency and was co-hosted by member Hong Theodore Mayeyaki (SAN), representing Quan Pan South.”
Over the past six to seven weeks, Dagogot has attracted attention for repeated violent attacks by militias armed with the Do’op, Loon, Larwan and Gorom communities.
“While condemning the permanent attack, the House has emphasized that security is on the exclusive legislative list and therefore called on the National Assembly to direct the Secretary of Defense, police inspectors and other relevant security agencies to act decisively in restoring peace,” Dagogot said. “The House has also appealed to the Plateau State Emergency Management Agency (PLASEMA) to conduct a field assessment of affected communities and provide relief and support to victims.”
After extensive deliberation and contributions by members who expressed strong concern over repeated violence, the House unanimously adopted the resolution. House clerks were instructed to make clean copies of the resolution and forward it to the president, Senate Speaker, House Speaker, Department of Defense Secretary, police officers and other relevant federal agencies for emergency action.
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 worst countries for Christians.
