Massacre in Nigeria: 200 Catholics killed by Islamists while sleeping

The Pontifical Foundation helps the Church in need (UNHC) denounces a massacre of at least 200 Christians in Nigeria at the hands of Islamic radicals, which perpetrated the attack for three hours in which they murdered in shots, knife and burned their victims.

Throughout three hours of terror, the attackers took advantage of the fact that their victims were sleeping, according to a Pontifical Foundation Notein which it is reported that these are people from the state of Benue, located in the center of the country, where 95% are Catholics.

“The displaced families were in buildings converted into temporary accommodations in the Yalewata Market Square, in the local government area of ​​GEMA, near Makurdi, when the radicals broke up shouting. ‘Allahu newspaper ‘ (God is great) before starting the killing, ”adds the statement.

The local clergy has reported to ACN that “the same afternoon of the massacre the police had already repelled the attackers when they tried to assault the church of San José de Yelewata, where up to 700 internal displaced people slept.”

By not getting its goal, the attacking group “then went to the city market square, where they used fuel to light fire at the doors of the displaced accommodation, before opening fire in the area where more than 500 people slept.”

Although the first reports pointed to a hundred deceased, the Diocese of Makurdi estimates “in a total of 200 the victims of the massacre.”

“This number makes it the worst atrocity in a region in which there is an increase in attacks. All this in the midst of growing indications that a coordinated assault is being carried out to force the entire community to leave the region,” by the Fulani radicals, ACN emphasizes.

The pastor of Yelewata, P. Ukuma Jonathan Angbianbee, described ACN how he and other internal displaced “escaped by little death, throwing themselves to the floor of the parish house when he heard the shots.” The priest said that “when we heard the shots and saw the radicals, we entrust our lives to God. This morning, I thank God for being alive.”

When he arrived at the Market Square after the attack, the presbyter saw something “really frightening. There were murdered people. There were corpses scattered everywhere.”

The Foundation for Justice, Development and Peace of the Diocese of Makurdi has prepared a report that has had ACN access, in which its staff describes what happened as “a monstrosity” and points out that “some (corpses) were burned until they were unrecognizable: babies, children, mothers and fathers simply annihilated”.

The city of Yelewata, where the slaughter has occurred, has been hosting by hosting displaced from neighboring villages due to the terrorist activity against the

Fr. Jonathan affirms that the perpetrators are Fulani shepherds and that the attack was carefully coordinated with the radicals by accessing the city from multiple angles: “There is no doubt about who carried out the attack. They were definitely Fulanis. They shouted ‘Alahu newspaper’”.

In the sentences of Leo XIV

This Sunday, during the Angelus prayer, Leo XIV remembered these victims and raised their prayer so that “security, justice and peace prevail in Nigeria, a loved country and so affected by various forms of violence. And I pray in a special way by the rural Christian communities of the state of Benue, which have been incessantly victims of violence.”

In recent attacks, “more than 100 people have died and 5,000 people have been displaced in the areas of the local government of Gwer West, in the Diocese of Makurdi,” ACN reports, which has led the leaders of the local church has requested international help repeatedly, stating that “there is a jihadist plan on the way to seize the lands and carry out an ethnic clean region”.