More than 500 Christians in Nigeria have been murdered by Fulani militants since the start of April, according to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) UK’s Head of Press and Public Affairs John Pontifex.

Overnight between June 13 and 14 represented the most horrific act of barbarism yet. Save the Persecuted Christians announced that over 200 people were “brutally killed” by the Fulani in Yelwata, a village in Benue state. The advocacy group revealed that “infants, toddlers and the elderly are among the butchered and burnt bodies. Fleeing victims were shot and hacked with machetes and thrown back into the fire.”

Pontifex, who has devoted many years to reporting on outbreaks and situations of persecution, killings and desecrations, said this particular tragedy “was just so wanton in terms of its cruelty (and) obviously so carefully planned. (They) seemed to delight in finding the most brutal and horrific way of targeting people and you were left speechless.”

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In reaction to the latest act of mass violence, Fr. Oliver Ortese of St. Francis Xavier Church in nearby Agagbe told The Catholic Register it was very difficult to preside over Mass that weekend.

“It's painful and it's disappointing,” said Ortese. “I feel disillusioned in my country. I'm disappointed with the leadership in my country and I feel so helpless. That's my feeling now.”

Ortese said the Nigerian government controlled by the All Progressives Congress (APC) party for over a decade — Bola Tinubu became the Nigerian president in May 2023 — has enabled hostilities against Christians to escalate by not making major arrests to deter the violence. And, Ortese said, the government has propagated a false narrative that the unrest created by the Fulani herdsmen is due to climate change reducing the availability of resources and land.

Dozens of graphic videos of the Fulani tyrannizing Christians, supplied to the Register by Ortese, repudiates the state-driven talking point. Chants of “Allahu Akbar” and other religious sentiments from the militants are audible.

Ortese firmly asserted that the “Government of Nigeria is sponsoring these people so they can systematically reduce the population of Christians.”

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Various demographical surveys estimate that 50-54 per cent of the Nigerian population is Muslim and 45-49 per cent Christian.

On March 12, Bishop Wilfred Anagbe told the United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa that the killings and the forcible land displacements are acts contributing to an ongoing Islamization campaign being waged across the West African nation. On March 26 he testified in the United Kingdom Parliament.

In early April, Anagbe and his travelling companion, Fr. Remigius Ihyula, were receiving threats over the message they were sharing with the outside world and before Anagbe spoke to Congress, he received a 3 a.m. call from a brother priest who relayed a message from the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The bishop was warned he had “better watch his words.” and was informed by a contact that there “might be” an arrest warrant issued for Anagbe upon his return to Nigeria. 

Anagbe and Ihyula did return home to the Makurdi diocese without being detained. Upon his return, a group of lay Catholics in his diocese hosted a press conference on April 14 that hailed the courage of his testimony.

As for how his tour abroad was received by the Nigerian government, Save the Persecuted Christians suggested the intensification of Fulani activities over the past two months was in retaliation against Anagbe.

Pontifex weighed in on this premise.

“Yes, this is an interesting question. Is this or is this not some kind of retaliation for having the temerity to speak the truth to those who are carrying out these dastardly deeds? He has indicated that the evidence suggests very possibly that they are targeting him because of his courage to speak up. It should be noted in this context that his village was targeted not long after he returned from making his statements both in Parliament and in the U.S. Congress. You could indeed draw that conclusion.”

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Ortese noted that Anagbe was not invited by Tinubu to an event in Makurdi “for the simple reason that the bishop will still say something that will upset the Nigerian president.”

Christians in Nigeria hope for the international community to raise awareness about their plight, said Ortese. The priest added he would like pressure “exerted on our government so they can rescind this intimidation of citizens.” He particularly called upon the U.S. government to intervene.