During the 2023 Christmas Holiday, a series of violent incidents took a severe toll on the Christian community in Plateau State, Nigeria.
Multiple sources have reported the fatalities of approximately 200 individuals, with many others wounded.
These incidents have intensified concerns about religious and ethnic discord in the area.
On Christmas Eve, armed attackers launched assaults on Christian villages in the Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, and Mangu counties.
Plateau State Commissioner of Police, Okoro Alawari, stated that the attacks were broad and meticulously planned, using heavy arms and indicating a planned campaign against the Christian populace.
Amnesty International Nigeria reported a total of 194 deaths in Plateau State, including 148 in Bokkos, 27 in Barkin Ladi, and 19 in Mangu. These statistics were confirmed by the Nigerian Red Cross, which also noted that over 32,000 people were affected and nearly 30,000 displaced.
The International Christian Concern has included Nigeria in its annual Persecutors of the Year report for the last three years, highlighting the continuous risk to Christians, especially in the Middle Belt region. In the past 20 years, over 50,000 Christians have lost their lives in this region, and millions have been displaced.
Human rights organizations, religious groups, and the international community have denounced the attacks. They have called on the Nigerian government to act promptly and efficiently to guarantee the safety and welfare of its citizens.
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has commanded the deployment of relief resources and instructed security agencies to investigate and apprehend those behind the attacks. Bishop Matthew Kukah of the Sokoto Diocese has prompted President Tinubu to act swiftly in safeguarding the Nigerian populace, highlighting the government’s duty to address and prevent such violent acts.