Nigeria: 13 Christians Killed in Benue State as Muslim Attackers Targeted Farmers and Sleeping Villagers

Image: Jihad Watch

A renewed wave of violence attributed to Fulani herdsmen has claimed the lives of at least 13 Christians across Benue State in early January, according to local residents and community leaders. The attacks, which occurred between January 5 and January 12, targeted predominantly Christian villages, further deepening fears in a region already scarred by repeated assaults.

The most recent incident took place late Monday night (January 12) in Otobi Akpa village, located in Otukpo County. According to a local resident, Franca Akipu, armed Fulani herdsmen stormed the village around midnight while residents were asleep in their homes. The assailants reportedly opened fire indiscriminately, killing four Christians on the spot. Akipu added that many villagers fled into the surrounding areas during the chaos, and dozens remain unaccounted for.

“The attackers came in the dead of night and began shooting at people who were sleeping,” Akipu told Christian Daily International–Morning Star News. “The sound of gunfire was terrifying. My mother could not sleep at all and was in a state of panic throughout the night. Our community is traumatized. We ask people to keep us in their prayers.”

She identified the four victims as Ochi Igbade, Eje Uzu, Alinko, and Achibi, all members of the local Christian community.

Residents say the January 12 attack was not an isolated incident. Akipu recalled that the same village had been targeted previously on April 15, when Fulani herdsmen reportedly killed 13 Christians and set at least 50 houses ablaze. Community leader Adikwu Ogbe said that attack occurred around 6 p.m., when armed men entered the village and began shooting at anyone they encountered.

“The herdsmen invaded our community and fired sporadically as they moved through the area,” Ogbe said. “By the time they withdrew, 13 of our Christian brothers and sisters were dead, and 50 homes had been completely destroyed.”

Additional attacks were reported in other parts of Benue State earlier in January. In Kwande County, residents said Fulani herdsmen killed five Christians on January 6 while they were working on their farms in Udeku Maav-Ya village. The attack reportedly occurred around 4 p.m., underscoring that the violence has not been limited to nighttime raids.

“This is not the first time such an incident has happened in this area,” said Tersua Yarkwan, chairman of the Kwande Local Government Council. “These Fulani herdsmen have continued to carry out attacks on our communities without restraint.”

Akerigba Lawrence, a member of the local council, echoed these concerns, noting that predominantly Christian villages in the area have endured repeated assaults. “Our people have consistently faced sustained attacks, along with the destruction of their homes and farmlands,” he said, adding that the violence has severely disrupted livelihoods and heightened insecurity across the region.

The series of attacks has renewed calls from local leaders and residents for stronger security measures and urgent intervention to protect vulnerable communities in Benue State.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)