At Least 40 people were killed in a late-night assault on the Christian farming village of Zike in Nigeria’s Plateau State, President Bola Tinubu confirmed Monday. The attack, which occurred on Palm Sunday, was reportedly carried out by armed Muslim gunmen suspected to be Fulani herders.
The violence is the latest in a surge of attacks targeting Christian communities in central Nigeria, particularly in Bassa and Bokkos local government areas. Human rights group Open Doors reports that since the end of March, at least 113 people have been killed in a wave of coordinated assaults across eight communities. More than 300 homes have been burned and 3,000 people displaced.
News Central’s @Chizzymee reports that the Zike community in Bassa LGA, Plateau State, is mourning after an attack by suspected Fulani herdsmen left many dead. Residents urge the government to find a lasting solution to these recurring attacks. pic.twitter.com/7pEarB6Iou
— News Central TV (@NewsCentralTV) April 15, 2025
“This is a brutal and sustained campaign,” said Samuel Jugo, spokesperson for the Irigwe Development Association, a Christian ethnic group based in the Bassa area. Jugo confirmed that at least 75 Irigwe members have been killed since December 2024.
According to resident Andy Yakubu quoted by CBN, the Palm Sunday attack on Zike began late at night when gunmen stormed the village, looted homes, and set buildings on fire—some with people still inside. “At the last count, 43 people were killed,” a local contact told Open Doors, though Yakubu and others say the death toll may exceed 50.
Nigeria: There has been another massacre of Christians – at least 49 were killed and many more injured in Zike, Kwall, Bassa – in Plateau State.
Around midnight on Palm Sunday, sporadic gunshots broke out and homes were set on fire.
Fulani militants are again suspected of… pic.twitter.com/IXOXvWQY71
— Christian Emergency Alliance (@ChristianEmerg1) April 14, 2025
President Tinubu condemned the killings and has ordered an investigation. “I have instructed security agencies to thoroughly investigate this crisis and identify those responsible for orchestrating these violent acts,” he said in a public statement.
Amnesty International Nigeria criticized what it called “inexcusable security lapses,” noting the attack occurred just two weeks after similar violence killed 52 people in the region. The group also confirmed that the victims in Sunday’s attack included children and elderly residents who were unable to flee.
These latest killings highlight the continued conflict in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where tensions between predominantly Muslim Fulani herders and Christian farmers have intensified. Disputes over land and water access and dwindling grazing areas have turned violent in recent years.
Open Doors reports that three Christian farmers were killed on March 24 while working their fields. Days later, 11 Christians, among them a pregnant woman and a ten-year-old girl, were killed while attending a funeral. On April 2, at least five Christian women were shot while gathered for fellowship.
“This isn’t just random violence,” said Reverend Arum, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Bokkos. “These attacks are targeted, aimed at displacing our people and breaking the church.”
Displacement is rising sharply. Camps in Bokkos, Gombe, and Hurti are sheltering thousands, according to Arum. “In Hurti alone, we have more than 4,000 internally displaced persons. The needs are massive, and the situation is critical.”
Though the Nigerian government has deployed additional security personnel to Plateau State, locals say the violence continues largely unchecked. “Our people are living in fear,” said Titus Ayuba Alams, speaking to Open Doors. “Children no longer go to school. Even worship in churches has become dangerous.”
The conflict in Plateau is separate from the insurgency led by Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria. However, both crises have contributed to the broader instability in the country, which has seen thousands of lives lost and millions displaced.
Amnesty International reported that between December 2023 and February 2024, 1,336 people were killed in Plateau State alone. Despite repeated government promises of reform and security crackdowns, residents say the violence continues unabated.
