Moslem Fanatics Kill 'Up to 200 Christians' in Nigeria, Legacy Media Blames 'Climate Change'

As roving gangs of the Moslem Fulani tribe go on killing sprees across Nigeria, German state broadcaster ZDF muddies the waters, although, as always, matters are way more complicated

As in the Middle East, so in sub-Saharan Africa, it would seem; some backstories from Syria may be found here:

The End of Christianity in the Middle East

The situation in Africa isn’t nearly as bad as in the Middle East, but it’s not that far behind in terms of Western disregard for the plight and suffering of Christians in Nigeria is on display for everyone to observe.

The parts of the pieces below that are in German come to you in my translation, with emphases and [snark] all over the below-quoted stories mine.

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Nigeria: Up to 200 Dead in Worst Killing Spree

IDPs [internally displaced people] burned alive, shot dead and macheted

Via Aid to the Church in Need, 16 June 2025 [source]

Militants massacred up to 200 Christians in Nigeria’s Benue State on the night of Friday (13 June), targeting displaced families, setting fire to their buildings as they lay asleep inside and macheting anyone who tried to flee [the religion of peace]. The IDP families were in buildings repurposed as temporary accommodation in the market square in Yelewata, in Guma Local Government Area, near Makurdi, when the militants stormed in, shouting ‘Allahu Akhbar’ (‘God is great’), before killing people at will.

In a first-hand report given to Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), local clergy said that earlier the same evening, police had repelled the attackers as they tried to storm Yelewata’s St Joseph’s Church, where up to 700 IDPs lay sleeping. But the militants then made for the town’s market square where they reportedly used fuel to set fire to the doors of the displaced people’s accommodation, before opening fire in an area where more than 500 people were asleep.

Initial reports confirmed that at least 100 people died in the three-hour killing spree, but later data collected by Diocese of Makurdi’s foundation for justice, development and peace (FJDP) estimated a full total of 200. The death toll makes it the single-worst atrocity in a region where there has been a sudden upsurge in attacks amid increasing signs that a concerted militant assault is underway to force an entire community to leave the region…

Less than 12 hours after the atrocity, the town’s parish priest, Father Ukuma Jonathan Angbianbee, described how he and other IDPs narrowly escaped death, dropping to the floor of the church’s presbytery at the sound of gunfire. He said: ‘When we heard the shots and saw the militants, we committed our lives to God. This morning, I thank God I am alive.’

Father Jonathan described visiting the market square: ‘What I saw was truly gruesome. People were slaughtered. Corpses were scattered everywhere.’

An initial report from the FJDP, whose staff had just visited the scene of the massacre, stated: ‘It was an eyesore—not a sight for anyone to behold.’ The FJDP added: ‘Some [bodies were] burned beyond recognition—infants, children, mothers, and fathers just wiped out.’

Father Jonathan said some were so badly burned it was difficult to identify them. The priest said Yelewata had absorbed thousands of IDPs from neighbouring villages—as it was considered relatively safe, lying on the main road to Abuja—but now was largely deserted, with many taking refuge in nearby Daudu and Abagena [is it too far-fetched to speak of ethnic cleansing with a religious (sic) bent, much like in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the 1990s?]. Father Jonathan said he and others identified the attackers as Fulanis [the Fula people are ‘primarily Muslim’ (Wikipedia)] and that the attack was carefully coordinated, with the militants accessing the town from multiple angles and using the cover of heavy rains to mount their assault. He said:

There is no question about who carried out the attack. They were definitely Fulanis. They were shouting ‘Alahu Akhbar’.

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Intermission

At this point, I’ll conclude my re-posting of parts of the above piece (which is in English and linked, hence if you’re so inclined, you can read up on it on your own), for I wish to make a related, if quite distinct point here.

For the latter half of this posting, we’ll turn to German state broadcaster ZDF and their explanation™ as to why these acts of ethno-religious cleansing recur frequently in Nigeria.

The above piece was written in English and went live on 16 June 2025; the below piece is from the very same day, albeit written in German, which I’ve translated.

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Many Dead After Massacre: Why the Violence in Nigeria is Escalating Again

Another massacre in Nigeria is causing horror. It is estimated that more than one hundred people were murdered. Why do such outbreaks of violence occur again and again?

Via ZDF Heute [their news outlet], 16 June 2025 [source; archived]

[the first part of the piece is a recapitulation of the above-related events, hence I omitted it; the piece itself is written as a FAQ]…

How is the government of Bola Tinubu, who has been president since 2023, reacting to the attack?

Late on Sunday evening, Tinubu described the violence on the platform X as inhumane and anti-progressive [see the quote below] Security authorities must act decisively and prosecute the alleged perpetrators, he said [now, I’ve looked at the official account of the Nigerian president (@PBATMediaCentre) and found tweets (‘exes’?) on 15 June offering thoughts and prayers; a long statement by Bayo Onanuga (his special advisor) on 15 June; and, finally, a statement by president Tinubu on 15 June, which is worth citing here:

I have directed the security agencies to act decisively and arrest perpetrators of these evil acts on all sides of the conflict and prosecute them.

Political and community leaders in Benue State must act responsibly and avoid inflammatory utterances that could further increase tensions and killings.

This is the time for Governor Alia to act as a statesman and immediately lead the process of dialogue and reconciliation that will bring peace to Benue. Our people must live in peace, and it is possible when leaders across the divides work together in harmony and differences are identified and addressed with fairness, openness and justice.

I’m not saying the president Tinubu didn’t call these massacres ‘anti-progressive’ elsewhere, but that stuff ZDF infers is quite a bit off]

How is the population reacting to the massacre?

According to local media, there were protests in Benue’s capital Makurdi on Sunday. Young people in particular called for an end to the violence and criticised Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia [apparently, no reprisal killings were conducted]. However, Remigius Ihyula, Director of the Caritas Committee for Justice, Development and Peace of the Makurdi diocese, said in an interview with KNA:

We are not completely shocked. People are murdered here every day.

So the violence is not new?

No—according to a study published by Amnesty International at the end of May, at least 6,896 people were killed in Benue during Tinubu’s first two years in office [that report isn’t linked; Amnesty Int’l isn’t beyond reproach—and neither is ZDF, for that matter; that report spoke of more than 10K killed—and for ZDF the ‘other’ 3K killed mentioned aren’t relevant here; see also this legacy media piece from Nigeria; more on this issue below].

What are the causes of the violence?

There are different interpretations: for a long time, Nigeria’s Middle Belt—a geographical belt stretching from east to west—was referred to as a farmer-herder conflict. As the population grew, a struggle for fertile pasture and arable land began [so far, so quite unproblematic in terms of the origins, isn’t it?]. Conflicts arose because cattle destroyed cultivated fields, but farmers also blocked former grazing corridors and water points.

Sometimes the conflict took on a religious flavour: the sedentary farmers predominantly profess Christianity, while the herders belong to the Fulani ethnic group and are Muslims [same as the killers in Benue]. This is why—according to various experts [none of whom are named], incorrectly—there was talk of clashes between Christians and Muslims [we thus note both the parallels to Benue and the sustained refusal by unnamed experts™ to call a spade a spade].

Massive rainfalls caused severe flooding in West and Central Africa. Since January, more than 1,000 people died—Nigeria is particularly affected. [note the date stamp: 21 Sept. 2024; that linked video is right there in the piece by ZDF that casually dismissed—without citing any evidence—the ethno/religious nature of the conflict and goes on to ask]

What role does climate change play?

This is increasingly being recognised [by whom?] as a driver of conflict in Nigeria. As grazing land becomes scarcer, herdsmen have to move further south, which leads to conflicts. If land can no longer be cultivated due to climate change, jobs will be lost, and the supply situation will deteriorate [that’s it in terms of the Gospel of Climate Catastrophism™].

Are there links to terrorist groups?

For a while, Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria were labelled as terrorists per se [I dunno ‘bout you, but killing hundreds of people at once appears to be the hallmark of either terrorism and/or ethnic cleansing, with perhaps organised crime/territorial claims by non-state groups playing a role, too]. According to some [more evidence-free allegations], Islamist terrorist groups—the groups Boko Haram and the ‘Islamic State in the West African Province’ are still active in the north-east of the country—are using pastoralists to spread further south. In some cases, there is talk of an attempt at Islamisation. It is also possible that armed gangs without an ideological agenda are responsible for the attacks.

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At the Roots of these Killings

That’s literally the ‘splanation by German state broadcaster ZDF: yes, there’s ethnic tensions, aggravated by socio-economic factors (pastoralists vs. agriculturalists, seemingly reminiscent of Cain vs. Abel), and fuelled by religious violence by mostly, if not overwhelmingly so, one religious group (Moslem Fulani) vs. various other groups. Benue State is ‘inhabited predominantly by the Tiv, Idoma and Igede people. Minority ethnic groups in Benue are Etulo, Igbo, hausa and Jukun people etc.’ (source).

Here’s a bit more from the Amnesty International Report about what happened in the past two years:

In the two years since President Bola Tinubu’s government assumed power, new armed groups have emerged including Lakurawa in Sokoto and Kebbi state, and Mamuda in Kwara state, while hundreds of villages have been sacked by gunmen in Benue, Borno, Katsina, Sokoto, Plateau and Zamfara…

Attacks in Benue and Plateau state were particularly vicious…all 23 local government areas of Benue state suffered such attacks. Over 200 villages have been sacked by gunmen across Benue state.

These attacks have triggered a wave of displacement with 450,000 people documented as internally displaced people…

Some communities, in both Benue and Plateau, have been displaced more than once, after IDP camps were also attacked.

We thus note that both above-cited outlets—albeit the Aid to the Church in Need way less so—are highlighting one Nigerian state (Benue) while downplaying/ignoring the other (Plateau). What’s going on in the latter, you might ask?

Well, I’m no expert in inter-ethnic/religious violence in Nigeria, but according to this piece in Humangle.com (4 April 2025), this is what happened in Plateau State:

Between March 27 and April 2, armed men have attacked more than three communities in Plateau State, Nigeria, killing upto 40 people–by youth leaders’ count–and displacing many. The violence follows a series of recent assaults…

The attacks, which occurred late on Wednesday, April 2, are the latest in a string of violent incidents linked to suspected armed herders…at least 40 people have been killed.

Bokkos has suffered repeated waves of violence, particularly after the Christmas massacre of 2023, which claimed scores of lives. Previous investigations by HumAngle have linked the unrest to a cycle of revenge attacks triggered by disputes over farmland grazing and cattle rustling. Others, including Musa Ashoms, the state commissioner for youth and sports, have described it as ‘land grabbing and ethnic cleansing.’

How it started

The latest bloodshed comes just days after another attack in the area. On March 27, suspected armed herders stormed Ruwi, a community in Bokkos district, killing more than ten mourners at a funeral…

Fuki Christian, a social change ambassador in Bokkos, believes the Wednesday night assault was retaliation.

‘The attack seems to have been triggered by the recent arrests of those suspected to be behind the Ruwi massacre’, he told HumAngle.

A day before this latest attack, another chilling event unfolded. A local pastor was returning from an event in Daffo to Manguna when his motorcycle broke down at Josho. There, he was ambushed by armed herders.

‘He sustained several injuries and was thrown into a nearby well. They thought he was dead’…

The native Ron people once inhabited Josho. However, due to continued attacks, many have been displaced, and armed herders now occupy the area.

Care to ‘guess’ some of the Ron’s qualities? They ‘are predominantly Christian’.

If you care to learn ‘more’ about the background, I found the following long exposé at HumAngle quite illuminating. It turns out that the Fulani were massacred and cleansed from the neighbouring Mangu local gov’t area, which saw the Fulani ‘locking horns with the indigenous Mwaghavul people’. This resulted in ‘intense’ fighting, ‘with hundreds of casualties on both sides. A spillover in the Bokkos area was even worse, catching the attention of the international communities—albeit with some distorted narratives’.

The crisis that escalated into blood spilling started as a dispute over a piece of land in Murish, a community in Mangu.

The native Kyang family claims ownership of a farming expanse in Yidel, a hamlet in Murish. Suddenly, sometime in early 2023, someone began to erect a building. The person claimed he had been told by one Sarkin Yamma, also known as Ori, that the land belonged to the Fulani people in the area. Arguments ensued, and later, the Ori-led Fulani family issued a letter to the Kyang family to vacate the land because “it belongs to our forefathers.”

Both parties could not provide any document that showed they owned the disputed land.

Curiously, another family of the Mwaghavul extraction showed up to claim they also owned the land.

And when local monarch tried to resolve the conflict, this happened:

A Fulani man hacked a Mwaghavul man to death during an altercation near the disputed land in Yidel…The alleged killer was the son of Ori, the head of the Fulani people in the neighbouring Wolbi village.

The secretary to Ori went to Isuwa’s palace to report that one of his kin had killed a Mwaghavul man. The situation then went berserk as dozens of Mwaghavul men trooped into Ori’s residence to air their grievances…

Tension built up quickly following Ori’s limp response to his son’s murder allegation. On their way home, some Mwaghavul mob took the law into their own hands. They found a Fulani man working on a farm in the area, and, with a gruesome resolve, they stoned him…

No one ever thought the clash would transcend beyond communal rioting. For a few days, the Mwaghavul natives said they observed armed, menacing men gathering in the Fulani settlement in Murish, but security agents wouldn’t let them strike. Two weeks later, Kubat, a neighbouring Mwaghavul community, came under heavy attack by vengeful Fulani attackers who had been contained in Murish…

Attacks and counter-attacks happened in this axis nearly every month, degenerating into a deadly ethnic divide and spiralling across communities in Bokkos and Barkin Ladi. Houses, marketplaces, churches and mosques were targeted for arson on both sides, prompting a massive displacement crisis.

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Bottom Lines

And there you have it: at the root of this uptick in violence, there’s literally no Climate Change™. What there is, though, are very weak governance structures, in part due to the fact that Benue State was created only in 1976, with internal (administrative) borders being re-drawn as recently as 1991.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, is a former British colony and before the British took over, its inhabitants were never united in a single territorial unit. The results of doing so are quite obvious, but the main impetus behind the ethnic/religious violence shall be called out, too: it is quite obvious that large, populous countries with weak governance structures are hard to rule/govern, but there’s been plenty of talk with little even-handed gov’t action against the violence, it seems.

The results are killings, reprisals, and lots of displaced people—with news pieces highlighting, though, noting both the overwhelmingly Moslem faith (sic) of the attackers and the Christian creed(s) of the victims.

Apart from denominational news agencies, these victims seem of very little concern to Western politicos™, experts™, and journos™ alike.

Flip the page, though, to the Middle East and watch the very same Western politicos™, experts™, and journos™ get all agitated over Iran’s responses to Israel’s attack a couple of weeks ago—while the plight and suffering of Gazans has been ignored, as the plight and suffering of Iranians (of all ethnic/religious groups) is similarly ignored.

I suppose what I’m trying to convey is this: as much as ethnic/religious aspects play a role, the importance of politicking and economic matters cannot be disregarded.

Any narrative that points to but one of these aspects while omitting the others, and, equally crucially, leaving out relevant context, is not much more than agit-prop. The former is exemplified by the omission of the Plateau State killings in the account of the Benue State massacres and constitutes lying by commission; the latter is clearly visible in the backstories of the uptick in more or less organised violence that’s perpetrated, which constitutes lying by omission.

Moreover, that which gets cast aside even more than either of these aspects is the humanity of the victims, be they in the Benue or Plateau States.

I suppose that the last word here belongs to the Pope who, in the above-cited piece from Aid for the Church in Need, reportedly said:

On Sunday [17 June 2025], Leo XIV commemorated these victims during the Angelus prayer and asked that ‘security, justice and peace may reign in Nigeria, a beloved country that is so much affected by various forms of violence. And I pray in a special way for the Christian rural communities in the state of Benue, who have repeatedly been victims of violence.’