HOLY WEEK MASSACRE: 120 Christians Slaughtered

Fulani militias slaughtered over 120 Christians during Holy Week 2025 in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, hacking families with machetes on Palm Sunday in a brazen “slow-motion genocide” that demands America’s attention under President Trump’s second term.

Story Highlights

Fulani militias killed 120+ Christians, including women and children, across Plateau State from March 27 to April 13, 2025, displacing 7,000.
Palm Sunday massacre in Zike village claimed 56 lives, orphaning a 7-year-old boy after his family was mutilated.
CSI labels attacks religiously motivated land grabs by Muslim Fulani against Christian farmers, timed for Christian holidays.
Nigerian government’s Fulani dominance enables impunity, urging U.S. pressure for accountability.
Pattern persists into 2026 Palm Sunday attacks in Jos, killing dozens more in Christian areas.

Holy Week Bloodshed Timeline

Fulani militiamen abducted and gang-raped a 19-year-old woman in Tahoss on March 24, 2025. Twelve mourners died at a funeral in Ruwi village on March 27. Attackers hit 15 villages in Hurti community on April 2, killing 56, injuring 28, and displacing over 5,000. Ambushes on April 6, 10, and 12 added deaths and crop destruction in Riyom LGA. The deadliest strike came on Palm Sunday, April 13, in Zike village, Bassa LGA, where 56 Christians fell to machetes.

Relentless Pattern of Persecution

Since 2018, Muslim Fulani militias have targeted Christian farming villages in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, occupying fertile lands and displacing millions. CSI warned of genocide in 2020. Attacks spike during Christmas, Easter, and now Holy Week, revealing an Islamization agenda beyond herder-farmer disputes. Over 100 died in Plateau and Benue at Christmas 2023. In 2025, Benue saw 170+ killed during Lent, including 72 over Easter Triduum.

Stakeholders and Impunity

Christian Solidarity International documented attacks with on-ground staff in Jos from April 12, providing victim lists and hospital visits. Director Joel Veldkamp demands international pressure on Nigeria’s Fulani-dominated government. Father Moses Aondoanenge Igba eyewitnessed Benue massacres, calling them “conquest ideology.” Pastor Ezekiel Dachomo faces threats after pleading for UN and U.S. intervention. Fulani militias seek farmland dominion while the military stands idle.

Power dynamics favor Fulani elites controlling politics and security, marginalizing Middle Belt Christians. U.S. Mission to UN hosted events on the violence, straining ties as Nigeria denies genocide scale despite aligned death toll reports.

Devastating Impacts on Families and Faith

Short-term effects include 7,000 displaced in Plateau, traumatized orphans like 7-year-old Nenche Steven, and disrupted Holy Week services. Long-term risks escalate to full genocide with permanent Christian land loss. Economic hits from crop destruction cripple farmers. Socially, Christians bury loved ones at night amid fear during holidays. Politically, outspoken leaders receive death threats. Nigeria accounts for 72% of global Christian killings in 2025.

Expert Calls for Action

CSI’s John Eibner accuses Fulani rulers of seeking Middle Belt control. Fr. Igba describes systematic holiday targeting beyond terrorism. Human rights advocate Emeka Umeagbalasi highlights broader persecution. While some debate the genocide label due to intra-Muslim violence, CSI and church leaders affirm religious targeting. Recent 2026 Palm Sunday attacks in Jos killed 30+ in Ungwan Rukuba, with gunmen chanting “Allahu Akbar,” confirming the pattern as Christians brace for Easter.

As MAGA Americans question foreign entanglements, this Christian slaughter tests Trump’s promise to prioritize U.S. interests over endless wars—yet ignoring genocide erodes the family values and religious liberty we cherish at home. Limited 2026 updates underscore ongoing threats.