Originally published in Worthy News
Christians in Nigeria were mourning Wednesday after dozens of believers were killed in coordinated attacks on villages in the country’s northwestern Kaduna State, with local monitors warning the death toll may exceed 60.
Initial reports indicated that at least 30 Christians were killed in Naridon village in Kauru Local Government Area. However, Christian monitoring group Truth Nigeria said the overall number of victims from multiple attacks is believed to exceed 60.
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According to Christian advocacy group International Christian Concern (ICC), heavily armed gunmen stormed Naridon, opening fire on residents inside their homes before setting several houses ablaze. Survivors fled into nearby fields as the attackers continued shooting.
Building Zion, a Christian group assisting persecuted believers in Nigeria, said the assault lasted for hours and continued into the early morning without any reported intervention from security or government forces.
Communities under siege
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“Every month, we bury our people,” Stephen Hajara, spokesperson for the Kauru Local Government Legislative Council, said in remarks shared with Worthy News.
“Last month, we buried 11 people, including children; now, another mass burial. Enough is enough, please! Please come to our aid!”
Several residents identified the attackers as suspected ethnic Fulani militants, although authorities have not officially confirmed their identity.
“The same community was attacked last year around this time,” Derek Christopher, chairman of the Southern Kaduna Peace and Security Network, said in remarks shared with Worthy News.
He suggested the government had largely abandoned efforts to protect vulnerable rural communities.
“I don’t know who these people have left to fight for them,” Christopher added.
Alex Barbir, founder of Building Zion, whose organisation has helped Christians rebuild devastated villages across Nigeria, also expressed concern over the latest violence, saying many Christian communities remain effectively defenseless against repeated attacks.
Calls for action
Local government leaders called on Nigerian security agencies to identify and arrest those responsible. However, Christian advocates say little has changed despite years of deadly attacks targeting predominantly Christian farming communities in Kaduna State and elsewhere in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
The violence comes as Nigeria continues to battle multiple security threats, including attacks by suspected Fulani militants, criminal bandit groups, the Boko Haram Islamic extremist group, and its splinter faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
While Nigerian and allied forces have conducted operations against Islamic State-linked militants in northeastern Nigeria, including US-supported operations in previous years, Christian leaders say communities in Kaduna and other parts of central Nigeria remain highly vulnerable to repeated massacres.
World Watch List
Nigeria remains one of the world’s deadliest countries for Christians.
According to Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List, Nigeria ranks 7th among the countries where Christians face the most severe persecution.
The organisation says more Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than in any other country, with violence fueled by Islamic extremist groups, suspected Fulani militants, and other jihadist factions.
Christian advocates warn that unless authorities provide effective protection and hold perpetrators accountable, attacks such as the latest massacre in Kaduna State are likely to continue.
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