By Derek Vanbuskirk
An estimated 200 Christians were killed Friday by militants in Nigeria’s Benue state shouting “Allahu Akbar,” according to a report.
Local clergy told the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) in a report that police were initially able to fend off the militants, but they eventually made their way to the town’s market square. There, they reportedly set fire to the entrance of the building where more than 500 internally displaced persons (IDPs) were being kept before opening fire.
According to ACN, the Diocese of Makurdi’s Foundation for Justice, Development and Peace (FJDP) estimated the total loss of life to be about 200 people. It may be the largest attack in the region so far, but it follows a recent trend of violence in the area.
One such victim of earlier attacks, a Nigerian named Michael Ajah, told News Central TV that 20 members of his family were murdered outside his house during the reported killings.
The local parish priest, Father Ukuma Jonathan Angbianbee, told ACN how he and other IDPs were able to survive by dropping to the floor of the church’s presbytery upon hearing the gunfire. (RELATED: Shot In The Face And Robbed Of Nothing: South African Woman Shares Horror Story)
“What I saw was truly gruesome. People were slaughtered. Corpses were scattered everywhere,” Father Jonathan said, adding that he thanked God he was still alive, according to ACN.
President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria visited the site of the attack and said on X, “The scale of destruction and loss is heartbreaking.”
“We will restore peace, rebuild, and bring the perpetrators to justice. You are not alone,” Tinubu said.
I was in Benue today. The scale of destruction and loss is heartbreaking.
To the good people of Benue, I see your pain. I feel it with you. And I assure you, we will not leave you behind. We will restore peace, rebuild, and bring the perpetrators to justice. You are not alone. pic.twitter.com/ARCeQ5gXvl
— Bola Ahmed Tinubu (@officialABAT) June 18, 2025
Tinubu directed security agencies Wednesday to search for the perpetrators of the attack, according to the Associated Press.
Father Jonathan and others identified the militants as Fulanis, a predominantly Muslim group spread across West Africa, and said they were shouting “Allahu Akbar,” according to ACN.
“Some 200 people were murdered, with extraordinary cruelty,” Pope Leo XIV said about the incident Sunday, according to the Catholic News Agency. “Most of the victims were internal refugees who were hosted by a local Catholic mission.”
