Fulani herdsmen slaughter over 30 IDPs in Africa’s most populated country
The latest case of violence carried out against mostly Christian farmers in Central Nigeria has left at least 35 dead.
On Holy Saturday, April 8, an attack on internally displaced people (IDPs), carried out by Fulani herdsmen, caused nearly three dozen fatalities and countless injuries, according to Father Remigius Ihyula, from the Diocese of Makurdi, in a message sent to international charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).
“The Fulanis came into an IDP camp to kill these innocent souls. Over 35 dead and countless injured. The nearby IDP camps are all now in disarray,” said Fr. Remigius in his message to ACN.
“This has been a black Holy Saturday for us out here,” concluded the priest, who also sent photographs taken at the local morgue, some of which ACN has chosen not to publish due to the condition of the victims’ bodies.
Makurdi Diocese is located in Benue State, in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, which has suffered greatly from the violence carried out by Fulani herdsmen against settled farmers. The conflict is complex. The animosity between nomadic herdsmen and farmers is nothing new, but has been made worse in recent years by the introduction of automatic weapons that flooded the black market after the collapse of the regime in Libya. The situation has been further aggravated by a religious dimension, as most Fulani are Muslim and most of the farmers in the region are Christian, and there is fear that the Fulani violence is being stoked by those who want to cleanse the area of a Christian presence.
According to a statement by the Foundation for Justice Development and Peace, which was also sent to ACN by Fr. Remigius, the massacre occurred in the vicinity of the village of Ngban, where Fulani herders laid siege to the local primary school.
“The site is well known and used as a haven for people from neighbouring settlements such as Udei, who from time to time come to the school to sleep or stay due to fear and insecurity in their villages. Beside the school is the house of Zaki Bernard Shawa, who lost two children in the attack, while in front of the school is the Makurdi-Lafia Highway with a police checkpoint.”
According to Fr. Remigius, the herdsmen also destroyed property, including vehicles and agricultural products.
ACN Canada Easter Campaign focuses on Nigeria
Attacks such as this one, which took place during Holy Week, only confirm the importance of Aid to the Church in Need International’s Lent campaign, which in Canada is taking place during Eastertide. This year’s campaign is dedicated to Nigeria, Africa’s most populated country, and is aimed at raising awareness about the tragic situation many Christian communities in Nigeria find themselves in, as constant targets of attack and persecution. A Magazine and special landing page featuring video testimonials provide additional information on the situation in the country.
For the Magazine, click here and for the official campaign page, click here.
The Diocese of Makurdi alone has two million internally displaced people, spread across seven camps. Many of them are Christian. In a message recorded for the campaign, Father Remigius recalls that all these people who had to leave their homes used to be self-sufficient, but now rely on almsgiving to survive. The camps also lack basic equipment, such as beds, with the vast majority of IDPs having to sleep on the floor.
Besides the Fulani attacks, Nigerian Christians – and the population in general – have also been suffering from other issues, such as the activity of Muslim terrorist groups like Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and a rise in banditry, including an industry of kidnapping for ransom. Christians in some Muslim majority states in the north of the country also have to live under Sharia law and lack basic religious freedom.
