Islamic extremists raid two counties in Plateau State, residents say.
Thousands of people were displaced in the attacks in Mangu County that began on Monday (Jan. 22), residents said.
Sen. Diket Plang of Nigeria’s parliament said in a statement today that the killings resulted from unprovoked attacks on innocent citizens. He called on “the armed forces and all security apparatus to live up to their sworn duty to protect the citizens of Nigeria, especially the people of Mangu LGA, at this trying moment.”
He urged authorities to investigate the attacks and ensure that the culprits face the full force of the law.
“Justice must prevail, and those responsible for these atrocities must be held accountable for their actions,” Plang said.
The attack was part of a coordinated assault on Monday (Jan. 22) on Mangu County’s Kwahaslalek, Marian, and Kinat villages and the towns of Jakatai, Sabon Gari, and Mangu town, residents said.
Plateau state officials had imposed a curfew on Tuesday (Jan. 23) in the Mangu area to curb such attacks.
Killings in Bokkos
In Bokkos County, Fulani herders and other terrorists killed six Christians on Jan. 17 in raids on the predominantly Christian villages of Butura Kampani and Gada, residents said. The attacks co-occurred at about 10 a.m. and lasted until approximately 3 p.m.
Pastor Ayuba Matawal said the assailants ambushed five Christians in Butura Kampani and shot them to death.
Another Christian was ambushed and shot to death in the Gada village area by another band of terrorists and Fulani herdsmen, he said.
According to Matawal, “The second incident happened at Gada village, where terrorists and Fulani herdsmen shot and killed a Christian farmer while he was working on his farm.”
Since Christmas Eve, such attacks have driven about 19,000 people from their homes, said Pastor Matawal, who provides aid at camps for the internally displaced. He appealed for assistance, as the needs were overwhelming.
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.
In the 2024 WWL of the countries where it is most challenging to be a Christian, Nigeria was ranked No. 6, as in the previous year.
“They adopt a comparable strategy to Boko Haram and ISWAP and demonstrate a clear intent to target Christians and potent symbols of Christian identity,” the APPG report states.