14 Christians are killed in Nigeria by Fulani militants

On Monday night, Fulani extremists slaughtered 14 Christians, including women and children, in Nigeria's Benue State. The incident occurred about midnight in the Tarka Local Government Area, near to Makurdi, the state capital.

Images from the incident show the deceased lying on the ground with what look to be machete slashes on the body. In one of the photographs, a three-year-old kid can be seen.

Benue State is mostly Christian, and its governor, Dr. Samuel Ortom, has long spoken out against the region's ongoing bloodshed. Governor Ortom's ongoing support for the protection of Christians in the state has made him a top target for Fulani extremists, who attempted to murder him in a 2021 attack.

According to The Observer Times, in a press release, a Fulani organisation seeking to preserve Fulani interests claimed responsibility for the 2021 attack: "Our courageous fighters carried out this historic attack to send a great message to Ortom and his collaborators," the organisation stated in a statement signed by Umar Amir Shehu. "Wherever you are, once you are against Fulani long term interest, we shall get you down."

Nigeria was named the worst country for Christian persecution in the ICC's 2021 Persecutor of the Year Awards last year. In a 20-year genocide against Christians, radicalised and armed Islamist Fulani terrorists have slaughtered tens of thousands and uprooted more than 3 million.

“Christian communities in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria have effectively suffered a 20-year genocide,” stated ICC President Jeff King. “Where is any action? The Nigerian government gives these attacks lip service without any meaningful response. Where is the outcry? Where is effective action? In Nigeria, the military, the police, and the intelligence agencies are all controlled by Muslims. This, coupled with a 20-year lack of response by these agencies, should naturally lead to deeper questioning by the international community. Simply put, the time for cheap talk and platitudes is over. The world is waking up and starting to ask, ‘Is the Nigerian government complicit in these attacks?’ Time will tell, but for this long-time watcher, the decision is in.”