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Fulani herders killed six villagers on August 23, contributing to the total of 38 Christians who lost their lives in Benue State, Nigeria, during July and August.


AbujaNigeria: The number of deaths in Benue State, Nigeria, keeps rising. In July and August, the number of Christians killed in the same county reached 38. Fulani herders murdered six villagers on August 23.

According to a resident named Joseph Adayi, who sent the information via text message, a group of armed herdsmen attacked the villages of Iwari and Olegagbane in Agatu County. The attack resulted in the deaths of six Christians and many injuries.

Phillip Ebenyakwu, the Agatu Local Government Area Council chairman, confirmed the killings.

“There has indeed been a series of attacks on some communities in recent months by armed Fulani herdsmen,” Ebenyakwu said.

And the invaders, who also set fire to houses, killed many villagers during these attacks. Additionally, more than 2,000 villagers from the affected communities presently reside in camps under deplorable conditions.

According to locals, attacks in July and August resulted in the eviction of thousands of Christians who also had their homes destroyed. On July 14, in Agatu County’s Christian village of Egwuma, Fulani terrorists killed 12 people and wounded 11 others, said resident Daniel Agyo.

On July 9, a report indicated that “Fulani bandits” were responsible for the deaths of thirteen Christians in Olegomachi village. Additionally, on July 4, seven more Christians were killed in Aila village. Furthermore, separate attacks resulted in the loss of seven more Christian lives.

According to Agyo, 38 Christians have died in just the Agatu Local Government Area over the past two months.

Godwin Edoh, a member of the Benue State Assembly from Agatu, said attacks by Fulani herders on the area’s predominantly Christian communities have been ongoing.

“The Nigerian government must urgently take decisive action to address the ongoing attacks by armed herdsmen in our communities,” Edoh declared.

Kidnapped Students

Benue State law enforcement successfully rescued 20 Christian medical students who were kidnapped at gunpoint on August 15, paying no ransom.

One group of students from a public university in northern Nigeria’s Borno State and another from Jos were en route to Enugu for the FCMDS Annual Convention.

On August 23, police in Makurdi, Benue State, reported the kidnapping of the students on the Otukpo-Enugu Highway.

Abbas Omotiti, secretary-general of the University of Maiduguri Medical Students’ Association, has confirmed that there will be representation from students from the Universities of Maiduguri and Jos at the meeting.

According to Omotiti, the students departed from the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital on Wednesday morning, August 14, and stayed overnight at the University of Jos.

On the morning of August 15, ten students from the University of Jos joined them, making a total of 18 students who continued their journey.

The Benue Medical Student Association released an update, reporting the abduction of 20 Christians, including medical doctors who were with the students.

According to a press release by Nigeria Police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the police saved them on August 23.

Adejobi confirmed the release of the 20 students from the University of Maiduguri, the University of Jos, and other Nigerians. Freeing the students did not entail any ransom.

Nigeria maintained its No. 6 ranking on Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List (WWL) of the most challenging countries for Christians, the same as last year.

From October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023, Nigeria maintained its position as the deadliest place in the world for Christians, with 4,118 people being killed for their faith, as stated in the WWL report.

More kidnappings of Christians than in any other country also took place in Nigeria, at 3,300. Nigeria was also the third highest country in the number of attacks on churches and other Christian buildings, such as hospitals, schools, and cemeteries, with 750, according to the report.

Numbering in the millions across Nigeria and the Sahel, Muslim Fulani make up hundreds of clans of many lineages who do not hold extremist views.

However, some Fulani adhere to radical Islamist ideology, the United Kingdom’s All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom or Belief (APPG) noted in a 2020 report.

According to the APPG report, they adopt a similar approach to Boko Haram and ISWAP, targeting Christians and critical Christian symbols.

According to Christian leaders in Nigeria, the motive behind attacks on Christian communities in the Middle Belt is a desire to seize Christian lands and impose Islamic beliefs. This situation has a direct impact on the ability of herders to sustain their herds due to desertification.



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