Murder of Christians by Islamist extremists in Nigeria
Islamist extremists attacked a Christian village in Nigeria, killing about 50 Christians.
Over the past week, Islamist extremists have attacked a Christian village in Benue state in central Nigeria, looting property and killing about 50 people. The state is divided into Muslims in the north and Christians in the south, and the Islamists attacked the village on the pretext that some of the land in the village belonged to their pastures.
According to statements by Christians in the region, Fulani Islamists have repeatedly attacked Christian villages in the Okam area of Benue State over the past three months under the same pretext, killing or taking hostage a large number of villagers.
The Fulani, Africa's largest semi-nomadic tribe of about 40 million, have attacked farmers claiming they are trying to steal their livestock. Government officials have also refused to address the Fulani Islamist attacks on Christians, which are rooted in religious ideology, preferring to portray the issue as a dispute over land, while Christian leaders have a different view of the attacks. They believe the Islamist attacks on Christians in Nigeria are inspired by their desire to seize Christian lands and impose Islam on them.
