Christians Among 70 Killed in Latest Spate of Attacks in Nigeria’s Plateau State
JOS, Nigeria—At least 70 people, including many Christians, were killed in a series of coordinated attacks by suspected Fulani militants in Plateau State’s Bokkos and Bassa areas between late March and early April 2025, local authorities and aid groups reported. The violence, which targeted Christian farming communities, left over 300 homes destroyed and more than 3,000 displaced, deepening Nigeria’s security crisis amid economic woes—naira at N1,630/$1 and 40% inflation. With #PlateauMassacre trending at 130,000 posts on X, Nigerians demand action as of April 14, 2025.
Wave of Violence: Communities Devastated
The attacks began March 24, when three Christian farmers were killed in Bokkos while tending crops, per Open Doors. On March 27, 11 Christians, including a pregnant woman and a 10-year-old girl, died during a funeral in Kwahaslalek. By April 2, five Christian women were killed at a fellowship gathering, with six others missing, local leader Titus Ayuba Alams told AFP. “Our people live in fear,” Alams said, noting 2,000 displaced in Bokkos alone. The raids, spanning seven villages, burned churches and homes, leaving survivors like Mary Joseph, 29, homeless: “We lost everything,” she told Daily Trust. #PlateauAttack posts (80,000) shared pleas for aid.
Fulani Militants: Land and Faith at Stake
No group claimed responsibility, but locals and analysts point to Fulani militias, driven by land disputes and religious tensions, per Reuters. Plateau’s Christian farmers clash with Muslim herders over grazing routes, worsened by desertification, per CFR. “It’s jihad masked as herding,” said Rev. John Hayab, citing 2023’s 200 deaths in Bokkos. Nigeria’s 3,800 abductions in 2025, per ACLED, reflect growing banditry, yet Christian targets—95% of Bokkos’ attacked villages—suggest intent, per Open Doors. X posts (#FulaniViolence, 50,000) split between blaming herders and urging peace, risking deeper divides.
Economic Crisis Amplifies Pain
The attacks hit as Nigeria reels from 40% inflation, rice at N100,000 per bag, and fuel at N950/litre, per NBS. Plateau’s maize fields, vital for 1.2 million farmers, lie abandoned, with 800 hectares lost, per local estimates. “We can’t farm, can’t eat,” Joseph said, joining Jos protests over Trump’s tariffs slashing $200 million in exports. #FixNigeria posts (100,000) link insecurity to poverty, with 95 million in hardship, per World Bank. Tinubu’s N659 billion market dip and delayed security funds fuel distrust, as #SecurePlateau (60,000 posts) demands results.
Government Response: Too Little, Too Late?
President Tinubu vowed April 12 to “end this carnage,” per a State House release, deploying 500 troops, but locals report sparse patrols. Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s N50 million aid package covers only 20% of displaced, per NEMA. “Soldiers come after the damage,” said Alams. PDP’s Atiku urged a UN probe, citing Zamfara’s April 12 mosque burning as proof of chaos. Past failures—like 2023’s unpunished 113 deaths, per Vanguard—erode hope. #TinubuActNow posts (40,000) question Abuja’s will, while CAN’s Rev. Arum pleads for global aid to 4,000 IDPs in Hurti.
A Plea for Peace: Can Nigeria Mend?
Plateau’s scars—200 dead in 2023, now 70—mirror Nigeria’s broader toll: 62,000 Christians killed since 2000, per Genocide Watch. “Faith shouldn’t be a death sentence,” said Dr. Tunde Lawal, urging dialogue. Open Doors’ Arise Africa petition seeks UN action for justice, with 10,000 signatures by April 13. As Bokkos buries its dead and #PlateauMassacre trends, Nigeria faces a crossroads: curb militancy or let religious strife fester amid economic ruin. For survivors like Joseph, peace feels distant, but prayers persist.
