• Source:JND
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Nigeria Massacre: At least 40 people were brutally killed late Sunday night in Zike, a Christian farming community in Bassa, Plateau State, north-central Nigeria. The assault, carried out by armed gunmen reportedly identified as Muslim Fulani militants, has left survivors traumatised and communities devastated. The attack coincided with Palm Sunday, a significant day for Christians.

This recent attack is only the latest in a wave of violence that has plagued Plateau State since late March. According to Open Doors, an organisation monitoring Christian persecution, approximately 113 people have been killed in a string of assaults targeting Christian villages. These attacks, carried out across eight communities, have left over 300 homes destroyed and displaced more than 3,000 people. The victims have included farmers, women at prayer fellowships, and mourners at funerals. One such incident saw the deaths of 11 Christians, including a pregnant woman and a 10-year-old girl.

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Survivor Speaks: “They Were Just Shooting”

According to a report by AFP, Peter John, a 25-year-old survivor from the village of Kimakpa near Jos, described the horror of Sunday’s attack. "There was no specific target. They were just shooting," he told AFP from his hospital bed. The gunmen stormed his family’s home at around 10:00 PM, shouting "Allahu Akbar" and firing indiscriminately. John managed to survive by climbing onto the roof to escape. “My sister was killed right in front of me,” he said. “They were setting homes on fire, and shooting anyone who tried to run.”

Genocide Or Land Dispute?

While local and international observers debate whether the violence constitutes ethnic cleansing, genocide, or land disputes, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang has firmly called it “genocide.” Between December 2023 and February 2024 alone, Amnesty International reports that 1,336 people were killed in Plateau State, a stark indication that government security efforts under President Bola Tinubu are failing. Samuel Jugo of the Irigwe Development Association stated that 75 members of the Irigwe ethnic group, predominantly Christian, have been killed since December 2024.

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