A prominent lawyer has petitioned the Nigerian president that Fulani herdsmen have killed at least 86 people in the Christian region of Benue, including Sunday (June 1), as they have killed at least 86 people in the Christian region of Benue in the past two weeks, sources said.
Sebastine Hong, a senior advocate at Nigeria (SAN), an honorable designation awarded to the recommendations of the Nigerian Bar Association, wrote to President Bora Tinubu on Monday (June 2) calling for immediate action to stop the growing bloodshed in his hometown of Venue.
“But the security situation in my state is getting out of control so quickly,” Hong writes. “From the narration of the unfortunate development of Benue state above, it is most essential that the state of military emergency be declared by the president of the state.”
The deplorable security situation in Benue state forced him in late May to ask military and police leaders to take action, he wrote.
“I personally wrote a joint letter to the Chief of Defense, police officers and the Director of National Security Services, detailing the failures of the state’s military and paramilitary operations,” Hong wrote. “No dates have been made, as evident from recent ugly events in the state that have made it clear about the situation.”
Mostly in Christian Gwar Nishi District, Fulani herdsmen have killed at least 68 people in the past two weeks. This involved killing 18 people from TSE Antswam, located on the outskirts of the town of Nacca, on Sunday (June 1).
Community leader Daniel Abomb said the perpetrator was a Fulani herdsmen.
“On Sunday, 18 Christians were killed in the village of Tse Antswam. Some were shot dead, others were slaughtered and the houses burned,” Abomtse said.
Victor Ormini, chairman of the Gwer West Local Government Council, sent a distressed text message to Christian Daily International-Morning Star News.
“A week ago, more than 40 Christians were killed in our local government area. Again, we are seeing the killing of additional Christians,” Ormini said. “So far, 14 Christian bodies have been recovered, killed alone in the middle, but many Christians are still missing.”
Local residents responding to inquiries from Christian Daily International Morning Star News said the attack occurred on May 27th.
In his letter to President Tinubu, Hong recorded the attacks that took place while the military and other security agencies were standing up.
“On May 29, 2025, the Agan community in Makurdi, the capital of the province, was attacked during the day,” Hong wrote. “We have military barracks on the same north shore, but no soldiers were deployed to arrest the situation.”
On Sunday (June 1), the site of the headquarters of GWER Western Local Government and the APA local community of Edicou an Ann Ann Paris was subjected to some fatal attacks, he wrote. On May 24, Rev. Solomon Atongo was attacked on the way from Makurdi to Naka.
“The scene was about 500 meters from the military checkpoint. However, none of the soldiers at the checkpoint came to his rescue and the attackers left him to the death,” Hong wrote. “He’s lucky to be alive today.”
On Saturday (May 31), Catholic priests accused the military of being an accomplice, and publicly stated that the church lost priests and congregation members and closed more than 15 parishes in the state.
“Attackers always come with motorcycle numbers,” writes Horn. “On the other hand, there are several military checkpoints along the road! Where and how do you ask, will those killers go to the points of attack and return to their newly acquired ‘base’? ”
Police in Benue state said tactical teams have been deployed in Naka and APA regions.
Unprecedented Attacks at APA
The herdsmen’s attack in APA County is unprecedented and killed at least 28 Christians on Sunday (June 1), sources said.
Residents of Edikwu Ankpali and Opaha Villages said the attack took place around 6pm shortly after Christians returned from Sunday evening service.
“A large burial was held for 28 Christians in Benue Province who were brutally killed by an armed herdsmen in Ankari, Edicou Ankhpari community in the APA Local Government Area.” “Several Christians were reportedly accused during the attack.”
Resident Tony Adicou said more than 28 Christians were killed in the attack on Edicou Ankhpari.
“And most Christians who are refugees in Ediqu Ankhpari are now refuge in another Christian community, Odugubo village,” Adiqu said.
The village of Opaha, primarily Christian, was also attacked on Sunday (June 1), said John Ikuurono, a former employee of the APA Local Government Council. Adams Ocheiga, chair of the APA Local Government Council, confirmed the attacks on Christians in the area.
“It is true that some Christian communities in our area are currently under attack by armed Fulani herdsmen,” Ochega told Star News for Christian Daily International Morning. “The attention of police authorities, the military and the Venue state governments is drawn to these unpleasant situations. We hope that something will be done soon to avoid more such evil attacks.”
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.
