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On Easter Sunday, a day revered by Christians worldwide, Nigeria witnessed a series of brutal attacks suspected to be orchestrated by jihadists across at least five states. These assaults targeted Easter services, involved mass abductions, and saw indiscriminate violence against locals, casting a shadow over the holiest day in the Christian calendar.
This wave of violence follows an alarming massacre on Palm Sunday, occurring just a week prior, where at least 30 individuals lost their lives in Plateau state. Plateau is notoriously known as one of the most perilous regions in Nigeria for Christians.
Human rights organizations consistently name Nigeria as the world’s deadliest nation for Christians due to the high annual fatality rates in targeted attacks. The culprits are frequently associated with various Muslim extremist groups, including the Islamic State, Boko Haram, and the Fulani militants of the Middle Belt. Despite the clear religious motivations of the attackers, Nigerian Christians often argue that the federal government remains in denial about the ongoing persecution and fails to address the Islamic roots of these violent acts.
In response to international criticism, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu remarked in November, “The characterization of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians.” This statement came after President Donald Trump designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) regarding religious freedom.
According to reports from the Nigerian newspaper Vanguard, two distinct attacks unfolded on Easter in the states of Benue and Kaduna. Benue, located in the Middle Belt, is known for its significant Christian population, while Kaduna is a state ruled by sharia law, with a Christian minority. In Benue, attackers were identified as “suspected armed herdsmen,” a label often attributed to Fulani jihadists who target Christian settlements for annihilation and takeover.
“The attackers, numbering over 50, set homes, the local market, and food barns ablaze. Several others remain missing,” the newspaper reported, adding that at least nine confirmed deaths occurred in that attack. The Nigerian newspaper Premium Times reported that the government documented at least 17 deaths in the attack by later in the day. That newspaper cited locals who said the attack specifically targeted Easter celebrations.
“As people tried to flee, the gunmen opened fire, killing innocent residents. Nine bodies have been recovered, but many are still missing,” an anonymous resident was quoted as saying.
In Kaduna, Nigerian media reported that unspecified “terrorists” opened fire on two Christian churches in Ariko, identified as First ECWA Church and St. Augustine Catholic Church, killing at least seven people. During this attack, the terrorists attempted to abduct dozens of people, and reportedly succeeded in taking away a number authorities have not confirmed at press time. The Nigerian military nonetheless boasted that it engaged heavily with the terrorists, resulting in the liberation of 31 Christians the terrorists attempted to abduct.
“Military sources said troops engaged the terrorists in a fierce firefight, forcing them to abandon the hostages,” Vanguard reported.
Local Katsina councillor Mark Bawa reportedly lamented to Punch, another Nigerian outlet, that despite the rescue, the government response to the attack was slow. He blamed “poor telecommunications coverage in the area.”
In northeastern Borno state, historically the cradle of the jihadist terror attack by Boko Haram, local authorities also reported coordinated community attacks. The reports did not specify the nature of the attacks, but did identify the attackers as members of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Boko Haram and ISWAP were once the same group, when Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in the Middle East, but reportedly splintered after his death over disagreement about continuing to follow the global ISIS infrastructure. Local media reported that five people were killed, four of them police, in the Borno attacks this weekend.
“The terrorists deployed rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and other weapons, damaging part of the [police] station and partially burning an unserviceable armored personnel carrier,” Vanguard reported.
Vanguard documented yet another “terrorist” attack in Plateau state, in the heart of the devastated Middle Belt, beginning around midnight between Saturday and Sunday. This attack killed three people and reportedly targeted a group that was established to protect the area in the absence of any meaningful government-provided security against jihadist groups.
The Nigerian newspaper Premium Times reported on Monday that another group of “attackers” targeted Katsina state, northwest Nigeria, in this case burning down a healthcare site and some local businesses. While the report only identified the attackers as “suspected bandits,” jihadists have been documented to use tactics such as the burning down of small businesses, churches, and other local community sites to displace Christians, forcing them from their indigenous homes and allowing the roving jihadists to steal the land.
“Despite repeated military operations and government assurances, attacks in local government areas such as Matazu, Malumfashi, and Funtua have remained frequent, often involving killings, abductions, and destruction of livelihoods,” Premium Times lamented.
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