Fresh violence has erupted in Plateau State as armed Fulani militias launched a deadly attack on Christian villages in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, leaving at least thirteen people dead and several others displaced. The latest killings have reignited outrage over what many describe as a deliberate attempt by government officials and sections of the Nigerian media to downplay the scale of Christian persecution in the region.
The assault, which took place on October 14, followed a public warning from Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo about an impending massacre, a warning that was dismissed by the Joint Task Force Operation Enduring Peace as a false alarm. Local community leaders said they had repeatedly alerted authorities to looming threats, but their cries for help were ignored. The incident adds to a grim toll of over 200 Christian deaths this year alone in Plateau, many of them victims of the persistent herder-farmer conflict that has devastated the Middle Belt.
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U.S. Congressman Riley Moore condemned the Nigerian government’s inaction, describing its response as “inept and complicit.” He faulted authorities for ridiculing credible intelligence instead of acting swiftly to protect citizens. “It’s a moral failure to ignore clear warnings when lives are at stake,” Moore said.
Sean Nelson, Senior Counsel at ADF International, echoed this view, noting that “this is not the first time early, credible warnings from Christian villagers have been ignored in Nigeria.” He stressed that the continued neglect of such alerts “often leads to these horrific tragedies.”
Senator Ted Cruz, a long-time critic of Nigeria’s human rights record, renewed his call for the U.S. Congress to take stronger action against Nigerian officials who “turn a blind eye to genocide under the guise of communal conflict.”
Residents of Barkin Ladi continue to flee their homes amid fears of renewed attacks, as tension spreads to neighbouring communities. Human rights observers warn that without decisive government intervention, Nigeria risks sliding further into a humanitarian disaster that could destabilize the entire region.
