At least 40 people were killed and more than 1,000 displaced in attacks on several communities in Plateau State, Nigeria, on April 2.
The attacks targeted the villages of Hurti, Josho and Daffo and other communities in Bokkos Local Government Area (LGA).
The assailants reportedly arrived on motorbikes and launched coordinated assaults, looting and destroying property.
Maren Aradong, the head of Hurti village, added that the attackers had burned 383 houses as well as stealing food and other items.
He commended the swift response from state authorities and security forces but called for increased deployment to prevent further violence.
Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang described the incidents as a “coordinated crime sponsored by conflict merchants,” rejecting the narrative of farmer-herder clashes.
Solomon Dalung, former Minister of Youth and Sports in Nigeria’s federal government, also condemned the killings in Bokkos LGA as acts of “terrorism” and “genocide”.
An estimated 45,000 Christians across northern and Middle Belt Nigeria have been killed in Islamist violence since 2009. Three men were killed by suspected Fulani Islamists in Plateau State on March 23.
Please pray that the Lord will bring peace to Nigeria amid rising violence and unrest. Ask God to comfort those who are grieving the loss of loved ones, especially in the communities affected by the recent attacks. Please pray that God will protect the innocent, strengthen the weary, and provide shelter and safety for the displaced.
