Over a hundred Christians have been murdered in a series of brutal attacks by Fulani herdsmen in Plateau State, Nigeria in recent weeks, with Open Doors conservatively estimating that across northern Nigeria more than 3,100 have been slaughtered in the last year.
Alongside those murdered, thousands of Christians have been left displaced, which Henrietta Blyth, CEO of Open Doors UK and Ireland, explained is problematic during the current rainy season, as many will have no way to care for their families or provide food.
She told en: “The number of attacks on Christian communities in northern Nigeria is shocking to contemplate … All of this happens with total impunity. There is rarely any response from police or security forces. The new government has spoken about opposing the slaughter, but there is little sign of improvement.”
Land grabbing
A Mission Africa partner revealed that large numbers of Fulani attackers in the region often attack Christians overnight in a form of land grabbing. He spoke of how Christians are killed, burned or displaced, but that the government has proved incapable of dealing with the perpetrators due to bureaucracy and fear.
He said: “The reasoning behind the [government’s] delayed response is that the security agents themselves are afraid of being attacked and killed by the sophisticated arms the herdsmen have. Any attempt to remove the Fulanis from the land they have taken over is considered anti-Islam by the Muslim community in Nigeria.
“The government has always called for dialogue between the two sides; however, because the Fulanis are well armed they do not keep to the terms of the agreement, so Christians are in a very vulnerable state. This is a very complex security problem that Nigeria needs to address urgently. Sadly, similar attacks are also happening in the central belt of Nigeria where Christians are also in the majority.”
