Islamist bands attacked two communities, Tyungu Jam and Mbaav, in the Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State, killingabout 20 peopleand leaving many others missing.
The attackers stormed the villages early in the morning and continued their assault throughout the day, forcing residents to flee. Local sources said the death toll could rise as villagers search nearby bushes and destroyed homes for those still unaccounted for. Residents described the killings as brutal and said women and children were among the victims.
Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned the attack as “barbaric, senseless, and unacceptable,” expressing condolences to the victims’ families and promising that those responsible would be brought to justice. He ordered security agencies to intensify efforts to capture the perpetrators, noting that more than400 securitypersonnel had recently been deployed to the area but that additional measures were needed.
Violence against Christian communities across Nigeria’s Middle Belt and northern states has intensified sharply in early 2026, with human rights organizations documenting hundreds of deaths, mass abductions, and the systematic destruction of churches and farmland.
On January 18, heavily armed militants identified by local witnesses as Fulani Islamists raided the village of Kurmin Wali in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State at approximately 9:00 a.m., arriving on foot and motorcycles. Splitting into groups, they simultaneously stormed three churches, Evangelical Church Winning All, Haske Cherubim and Seraphim Church 1, and Albarka Cherubim and Seraphim Church 2, rounding up worshippers at gunpoint and forcing them into nearby bushland. Initial reports indicated 177 people were abducted, including men, women, and children.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide said its Nigerian staff was blocked by the military from entering Kurmin Wali to verify the attack, and Kaduna State officials initially denied any attack had occurred, acknowledging an “abduction” only two days later. All 166 remaining captives were released by February 5, though details about how their freedom was secured remain unclear.
On February 3, militants from the Lakurawa group, affiliated with Islamic State Sahel Province, launched coordinated assaults on the villages of Woro and Nuku in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, continuing until the following afternoon. At least160 peoplewere killed, an unknown number of women and children were abducted, and many victims were found with their hands bound and their throats cut.
According to the Woro district head, a distress call was made shortly after the attack began, but help did not arrive for nearly ten hours. Separate attacks in Katsina and Benue states on the same day brought the combined death toll to more than 200.
In southern Kaduna State, a majority-Christian area, at least51 peoplewere kidnapped and three killed over a three-day period ending February 8. On February 7, armed gunmen invaded the Catholic community of Karku in Kajuru Local Government Area around 3 a.m., abducting 11 people, including Father Nathaniel Asuwaye, parish priest of Holy Trinity Church, and killing three others. Pope Leo XIV condemned these attacks during his Angelus address on February 8.
In Taraba State, atleast 70 membersof the predominantly Christian Tiv ethnic group are feared dead following coordinated attacks on multiple communities in Chanchanji Council Ward of Takum Local Government Area. Survivors reported that homes were set ablaze, food stores destroyed, and personal belongings looted. Community leaders said at least 35 churches were vandalized or burned, and religious items were destroyed.
Source: The Gateway Pundit
