Fulani Jihadists Kill 4 Christians in Fresh Attack in Nigeria’s Benue State

No Items Stolen, Yet Police, Media, Dub Attackers as ‘Bandits’

By Ekani Olikita

(Makurdi) Armed Fulani jihadists killed four Christians and wounded at least 12 others Monday in a late-night attack on a farming community in central Nigeria. Citing the routine narrative of police, Leadership.ng attributed the murders to “suspect bandits.”  

According to residents and police, the attack was mounted in Benue State, underscoring the persistent ethnic-cleansing violence that has paralyzed one of the country’s main agricultural regions.

The attack began around 11 p.m. Monday in Abaushwa village, Nzorov Precinct, Guma County (Local Government Area), about 35 miles (56 kilometers) northeast of Makurdi, the Benue State capital. The predominantly Christian farming community is also the hometown of former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom.

Residents said 16 well armed fulani ethnic militia (Jihadists) stormed the village, opening fire before attacking fleeing residents with machetes.

Those killed were identified as Emberga Akombo, his son, Terver Pool, his granddaughter Saanmoter Pool and Sewuese Tsekohol. At least 12 other residents suffered serious injuries and were taken to Benue State University Teaching Hospital in Makurdi for treatment.

Eyewitness Recounts Attack

Cecilia Vande, who survived the assault, described the violence in an interview with TruthNigeria.

‘We had gone to bed after returning from our farms when we heard heavy gunfire around 11 p.m., followed by attackers chanting ‘Allahu Akbar.’ Those who tried to escape were attacked with machetes. Even in the darkness, I could see about 16 Fulani attackers. Some arrived on motorcycles while others came on foot. This morning, Tuesday, we counted four members of one family killed, while many others were badly injured.”

Residents Condemn Violence

Utaan Terhide, a native of Abaushwa and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) senatorial candidate for Benue Northwest, condemned the killings.

“I received the news with profound sadness. Innocent people who simply wanted to live peacefully in their ancestral homes were murdered. This senseless attack deserves the strongest condemnation.”

Another resident, Tivta Samuel, Guma’s youth-community leader, also described the attack.

“More than 16 heavily armed Fulani terrorists arrived on about nine motorcycles. They spoke Fulfulde and chanted ‘Allahu Akbar’ while attacking residents with machetes. Four Christians were killed during the assault”, Tivta told TruthNigeria.

Officials, Police Confirm Incident by ‘Armed Bandits,’ But Nothing Stolen

Guma County Chairman, Maurice Orwough, confirmed the attack.

“These killings have become too frequent in Guma communities. Four residents lost their lives in Abaushwa last night. The bodies have been evacuated, the injured are receiving medical care, and security personnel have been deployed to the area”, Orwough told TruthNigeria in a phone interview.

Police spokesperson DSP Orchia Peter Aondona told TruthNigeria that four people were killed during what he described as an attack by “armed bandits.”

“Yes, there was an attack by armed bandits on Abaushwa last night. Four persons were killed and investigations are ongoing to identify and arrest those responsible.”

Pattern of Violence

Benue State has experienced repeated attacks by Fulani Ethnic Militia (FEM) on Christian rural communities for 13 years, forcing thousands of Christian residents from their homes and disrupting farming and taking over lands across one of Nigeria’s largest food-producing regions.

The conflict has generated competing explanations, with Nigerian authorities often attributing attacks to criminal bandits or clashes over land, local residents and Christian human-rights nonprofits report that radicalized Fulani ethnic  militia groups cause most of the assaults.

Armed Fulani militia have been  linked to nearly 24,000 civilian deaths during a four-year reporting period,  according to the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA), making the gradual violent takeover of Benue State one of Nigeria’s deadliest ongoing security crises 

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said in its May 2026 report that violence by armed Fulani militants remains a major driver of religious freedom violations in Nigeria, contributing to civilian deaths, displacement, and worsening instability 

Why It Matters to Washington

The continuing violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt carries implications beyond the country’s borders.

Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation, a major regional security partner of the United States and one of the continent’s largest economies. Persistent attacks on civilian communities fuel humanitarian displacement, weaken food security, and create conditions that extremist and criminal groups can exploit.

The violence also  has drawn increasing concern of U.S. policymakers focused on religious freedom, counterterrorism and regional stability. Congress, USCIRF and several human rights organizations  repeatedly have urged closer monitoring of attacks targeting vulnerable communities and stronger efforts to protect civilians while making perpetrators accountable. 

As attacks continue across Benue and neighboring states, security analysts warn that failure to improve civilian protection could deepen instability in central Nigeria and further complicate U.S. security and humanitarian interests in West Africa.

Ekani Olikita is a conflict reporter for TruthNigeria 

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