Tragedy in Kaduna: Fulani Militants Kill Five Christians During Church Gathering, Leave Community in Fear

Image: Jihad Watch

A fresh wave of violence struck the troubled northwest region of Nigeria on Friday, July 11, when Fulani militants brutally attacked a Christian community in Kaduna state, leaving five people dead and three others seriously injured. The assault occurred during a Bible study and prayer meeting at the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Kampani village, located within Kajuru County.

According to local resident Philip Adams, the gunmen—described as "Fulani bandits"—stormed the church premises around 3:30 p.m., interrupting the peaceful gathering with gunfire and chaos. Those tragically killed in the ambush were identified as Victor Haruna, Dogara Jatau, Luka Yari, Jesse Dalami, and Bawu John. Three more worshippers—Samuel Aliyu, Philip Dominic, and Jacob Hussaini—sustained injuries in the attack and are reportedly receiving medical treatment.

This attack is part of a disturbing pattern of ongoing violence in southern Kaduna, particularly within the Kajuru and Kachia Local Government Areas, where Christian farming communities have become repeated targets. Over the past six months alone, at least 110 people have been kidnapped in the region by suspected Fulani militants, underscoring the escalating crisis.

Local residents describe a grim and deteriorating reality. Happiness Daniel, a resident of the area, conveyed the community's anguish in a text message to Christian Daily International–Morning Star News: “This is the present predicament of most communities within Kajuru and Kachia Local Council Areas in southern part of Kaduna state. We constantly live in fear every day. We can’t sleep in our homes and we can’t go to farms.”

The frequency and brutality of such attacks have instilled a climate of terror among residents, many of whom have been displaced or are living under threat of future violence. In addition to the tragic loss of life, the sustained insecurity has crippled agriculture, strained local economies, and deepened religious and ethnic tensions in the region.

Despite repeated calls for intervention, both local and federal authorities have struggled to contain the violence, leaving vulnerable communities exposed and desperate for protection.

As Nigeria continues to battle multiple security crises—from Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast to banditry and herder attacks in the Middle Belt—the plight of Christian communities in southern Kaduna serves as a stark reminder of the human toll of government inaction and systemic neglect.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)