Suspected Fulani herdsmen have killed 70 Christians in Plateau State, including one pastor, in about six attacks perpetrated by the herdsmen, reports have said.
The herdsmen regularly raid Christian villages opening up a hail of gunfire, burning homes and churches, and shooting their victims when they run outside to escape the fires. They have repeated the attacks in Plateau, Bauchi, Kaduna, Taraba, Benue, among others.
“The jihadists, in their quest to eliminate Christians in Plateau State and their thirst for blood, have succeeded in killing Christians and burning their houses,” Vanguard quoted Gyang, a local, to have said.
The deadliest of the several attacks took place on May 2 when herdsmen reportedly set the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) located in Foron Town, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area (LGA), on fire, killing 27 Christians, including Rev. Luka Gwom and one Pauline, who got married just two weeks before the incident.
From April 25 to May 11, Gyang reported at least six attacks on more than eight villages in Barkin Ladi and Riyom local governent areas.
“We in Riyom and Barkin Ladi LGAs have been under siege and invasion. Lives have been lost almost every day, and [there is] no serious action from any quarter by the government. But we are still faithful to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” Gyang said.
Attacks in the middle belt region of Nigeria has not quite gotten the attention it needs as focus remains on Boko Haram insurgency. The government needs to do more to stop the attacks and indiscriminate killing of farmers, especially Christian farmers in the region.
