On August 24, Fulani herdsmen attacked primarily Christian villages in Kaduna, Nigeria, killing seven people, including a one-year-old infant, residents said.
In Angwan Limi village in Kaur County, five of the seven Christians killed by the “Fulani Maloudaz” were children, said resident Ilya Tata.
“Seven Christians were killed, while eight others suffered gunshot injuries and reduced matchets,” Tata told Star News for Christian Daily International Morning, identifying those killed as Jacob Zaka, 12 years old. Magret Matthias, 5; Joy Paul, 1; Satty Marx, 9; Confident Jakub, 15; Veronica Paul, 25; Felicia Francis, 30.
The injured was 14-year-old Matthew Sunday. Jethro Istafanus, 7; Jackson Istafanos, 5; Emmanuel Morris, 14; Agatha Sylvester, 9; Joy Marx, 9; Devine Paul, 6 months. And Mary Ishaya, 12, he said.
Emmanuel John Baco, leader of the South Kaduna People’s Union (Sokapu), in an official statement calling for “stronger security interventions to protect the lives and property of our communities.”
The pastor invited me
In Kwara, central Nigeria, an unknown assailant was lured on August 28th to a pastor of an evangelical church who had acquired everything in the Ekati area of Patigi County, sources said.
Ekwa member Gana Sunday Kajita urged prayers for the Rev. James Audou Issa, who was accused of pastors at Ekati, Ekwa Church.
“Lord, you are the guardian of life, the shield of the helpless, and the Savior of the oppressed,” said Kageta. “Father, protect him with the hands of the adductors. Surround him with your angels, irritate all evil plots, and open the way to his safe and prompt return home.”
Kageta also prayed for the pastor’s near-kinds, local community, and prisoners of war.
“O Lord of Mercy, touch the heart of his captives, and your light will help you overcome this darkness,” he said. “We believe in your promise that those who trust you will never be embarrassed. We declare that his safe release, his recovery to his family and the Church, and your glory has been revealed through this situation.”
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.
Police kill the evangelist
In Cross Rivers state in southern Nigeria, a street evangelist attempting to bring the gospel to the governor was shot dead by Calabar guards, but the murder of the Christian state appears to be unreliable.
The 22-year-old Moses MBA was shot dead on August 1st and died on August 9th.
MBA’s mother, Victoria MBA, said in a September 6th media statement that her son was arrested and beaten for going to a private residence to preach the governor and was then shot by five police officers working at the residence.
“My son was denied entry and treated as a threat,” she said. “They (the police officers) beat him. They shot him later. He was bleeding to the ground from around 11am until late in the afternoon.”
Linus Obogo, the governor’s chief spokesman, said police were instructed to investigate.
“As far as we know, the police officers involved are in custody,” Obogo said. “It’s purely a police issue and they’re dealing with it.”
Erasmus Ekpang, a state commissioner for information, reportedly had a mental challenge with the Moses MBA and threw a stone at the police officer in the residence. Ekpang said when the evangelist approached, there was only one security guard at the governor’s previous residence.
