At least 20 people were killed when Islamist militants attacked two communities in Nigeria’s Benue State early in the morning, local officials and residents said. The assault happened in Tyungu Jam and Mbaav villages in Kwande Local Government Area.
The attackers stormed the villages and continued the assault through the day. Residents fled into nearby bushland while others searched damaged homes and fields for missing relatives. Local sources say the death toll could still rise as more victims are located.
Witnesses described the killings as brutal, saying women and children were among those killed. Many residents remain unaccounted for following the attack.
Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned the violence and vowed action against those responsible, reports the BBC.
He described the attack as “barbaric, senseless, and unacceptable,” while expressing condolences to families of the victims. The governor ordered security agencies to intensify efforts to capture the perpetrators and noted that more than 400 security personnel had recently been deployed to the area.
The attack comes amid a sharp increase in violence targeting Christian communities across Nigeria’s Middle Belt and northern regions in early 2026.
Earlier this year, militants identified by witnesses as Fulani Islamists attacked the village of Kurmin Wali in Kaduna State on January 18. Armed men arrived on motorcycles and on foot around 9 am, splitting into groups and raiding three churches: Evangelical Church Winning All, Haske Cherubim and Seraphim Church 1, and Albarka Cherubim and Seraphim Church 2.
During the assault, worshippers were rounded up at gunpoint and forced into nearby bushland. Initial reports said 177 people were abducted. According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide, military personnel initially prevented investigators from entering the village to confirm the attack.
Kaduna State officials first denied the incident before acknowledging an “abduction” two days later. By February 5, all 166 remaining captives had been released, though details surrounding their release were not disclosed.
In another incident on February 3, militants from the Lakurawa group, which is linked to Islamic State Sahel Province, launched coordinated attacks on the villages of Woro and Nuku in Kwara State. The assaults continued into the following afternoon and left at least 160 people dead. Victims were reportedly found with their hands bound and their throats cut.
Separate attacks in Katsina and Benue states on the same day pushed the combined death toll to more than 200.
Violence also struck southern Kaduna State, where armed gunmen abducted 11 people from the Catholic community of Karku on February 7, including Father Nathaniel Asuwaye of Holy Trinity Church. Three others were killed during the attack.
Pope Leo XIV later condemned the violence during his Angelus address on February 8.
In Taraba State, coordinated assaults on Tiv communities in Takum Local Government Area left at least 70 people feared dead. Homes and food stores were burned, churches were vandalized, and residents reported widespread looting.
According to the Catholic Diocese of Wukari, more than 100 people have been killed, thousands injured, and over 90,000 Catholics displaced in the region since September 2025.
Data from Open Doors indicates that 3,490 of the 4,849 Christians killed worldwide for their faith in the past year were in Nigeria, accounting for roughly 72 percent of the global total.
The attackers stormed the villages and continued the assault through the day. Residents fled into nearby bushland while others searched damaged homes and fields for missing relatives. Local sources say the death toll could still rise as more victims are located.
Witnesses described the killings as brutal, saying women and children were among those killed. Many residents remain unaccounted for following the attack.
Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned the violence and vowed action against those responsible, reports the BBC.
He described the attack as “barbaric, senseless, and unacceptable,” while expressing condolences to families of the victims. The governor ordered security agencies to intensify efforts to capture the perpetrators and noted that more than 400 security personnel had recently been deployed to the area.
The attack comes amid a sharp increase in violence targeting Christian communities across Nigeria’s Middle Belt and northern regions in early 2026.
Earlier this year, militants identified by witnesses as Fulani Islamists attacked the village of Kurmin Wali in Kaduna State on January 18. Armed men arrived on motorcycles and on foot around 9 am, splitting into groups and raiding three churches: Evangelical Church Winning All, Haske Cherubim and Seraphim Church 1, and Albarka Cherubim and Seraphim Church 2.
During the assault, worshippers were rounded up at gunpoint and forced into nearby bushland. Initial reports said 177 people were abducted. According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide, military personnel initially prevented investigators from entering the village to confirm the attack.
Kaduna State officials first denied the incident before acknowledging an “abduction” two days later. By February 5, all 166 remaining captives had been released, though details surrounding their release were not disclosed.
In another incident on February 3, militants from the Lakurawa group, which is linked to Islamic State Sahel Province, launched coordinated attacks on the villages of Woro and Nuku in Kwara State. The assaults continued into the following afternoon and left at least 160 people dead. Victims were reportedly found with their hands bound and their throats cut.
Separate attacks in Katsina and Benue states on the same day pushed the combined death toll to more than 200.
Violence also struck southern Kaduna State, where armed gunmen abducted 11 people from the Catholic community of Karku on February 7, including Father Nathaniel Asuwaye of Holy Trinity Church. Three others were killed during the attack.
Pope Leo XIV later condemned the violence during his Angelus address on February 8.
In Taraba State, coordinated assaults on Tiv communities in Takum Local Government Area left at least 70 people feared dead. Homes and food stores were burned, churches were vandalized, and residents reported widespread looting.
According to the Catholic Diocese of Wukari, more than 100 people have been killed, thousands injured, and over 90,000 Catholics displaced in the region since September 2025.
Data from Open Doors indicates that 3,490 of the 4,849 Christians killed worldwide for their faith in the past year were in Nigeria, accounting for roughly 72 percent of the global total.
