Christian Leaders Call For Peace Following Tragic Loss Of Life
On Sunday and in the preceding days, Fulani herdsmen launched a series of attacks on villages in central Nigeria, resulting in several casualties and a kidnapping. In Gwanje village, Nasarawa state, Barnabas Para, a Christian, was killed by gunmen as he sat with neighbors outside his house. The attackers fired at them before fleeing, and Barnabas was found dead at the scene. Additionally, Okigwe Gajere, another resident, was briefly kidnapped but managed to escape.
In Ntsakpe village, near Akwanga, armed herdsmen killed a Christian named Mr. Sule and wounded another, Mr. Zamani, who was hospitalized. The attacks, which occurred between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., sent shockwaves through the affected communities, with reports also confirming incidents in nearby Ningo and Goho villages. In Goho, a security aide was killed, and former National Assembly member Joseph Haruna Kigbu and his wife were kidnapped during their journey to Jos.
The Fulani herdsmen’s violence against predominantly Christian communities has escalated, with a previous attack on Ningo village on November 28, during which Pastor Charles Joshua and three others were abducted. The ongoing violence against Christians has made Nigeria one of the most dangerous countries for followers of the faith, with thousands of killings and kidnappings recorded. In the 2024 World Watch List, Nigeria ranked 6th for the difficulty of being a Christian, and it remains the deadliest place for Christians, with over 4,100 deaths between October 2022 and September 2023.
While most Fulani herdsmen do not adhere to extremist views, some factions within the group have adopted radical Islamist ideologies, targeting Christians and symbols of Christianity. These attacks are believed to be partly motivated by efforts to take control of Christian lands, exacerbated by environmental pressures in the Sahel region. Christian leaders in Nigeria suggest that the herdsmen’s violence is not only religious but also rooted in territorial and political aims.