At least 12 Christians were killed in coordinated attacks on Easter Sunday worship services in Kaduna state, Nigeria, following separate killings of 17 Christians earlier the same day in Benue state, according to local sources.
Gunmen identified as Fulani assailants stormed the largely Christian community of Ariko in Kachia County, opening fire on congregations gathered at an Evangelical Church Winning All location and at St. Augustine Catholic Church. Residents reported that numerous people were also abducted and that both church buildings sustained damage.
Describing the assault, Kachia council member Mark Bawa said, “The attackers, who have been identified as Fulani bandits, were in large numbers.” He added, “They surrounded the community and attacked the churches as Christians were in worship services. Many Christians have been killed, while dozens of others were captured and taken away into the bush.”
Local resident Sam Bahago reported that at least eight people were initially confirmed dead, with many others taken into nearby forests. Subsequent recovery efforts by security personnel raised the confirmed death toll to 12, according to Truth Nigeria.
Another resident, Steven Kefas, sent a message during the attack stating, “Ariko community in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna state is under siege right now,” adding, “Not less than eight Christians are confirmed dead.” A separate witness, Gideon Michael, also identified the attackers as Fulani.
In Benue state in central Nigeria, suspected Fulani herdsmen, reportedly accompanied by other militants, carried out a separate early-morning attack around 5 a.m. on Sunday, killing 17 Christians.
Residents in Jande village, located in Mbalom in Gwer East County, said the attackers shot victims, abducted others, and set homes on fire.
Resident Tivta Samuel described the incident, saying, “There was an attack on Easter Sunday carried out by armed Fulani militia on Jande community of Mbalom, in Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue state.”
The Fulani, a predominantly Muslim ethnic group numbering in the millions across Nigeria and the wider Sahel region, consist of numerous clans with diverse backgrounds. However, some factions have been linked to extremist Islamist ideology, according to a 2020 report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom or Belief.
The report noted that in Nigeria’s Northcentral region — where Christian populations are higher than in the northeast and northwest — extremist Fulani militias frequently target farming communities, resulting in hundreds of deaths, most of them Christians.
Nigeria continues to account for the highest number of Christians killed globally, according to the Open Doors 2026 World Watch List. The report found that of the 4,849 Christians killed worldwide for their faith between Oct. 1, 2024, and Sept. 30, 2025, 3,490 — or 72% — were in Nigeria, marking an increase from the previous year’s figure of 3,100.
