In Taraba, northern Nigeria, violence against Christian communities continues relentlessly
Less than 48 hours after Governor Agbu Kefas declared the state safe for investors and tourists, Fulani ethnic militiamen killed six Christians in coordinated attacks on farms in the Takum region on April 20 and 21, 2026.
The killings began on the morning of Monday, April 20.
Aondoungwa Kpeibee and his wife were ambushed while traveling to their fields in the community of Amadu Chanchanji.
According to witness accounts, the attackers attempted to rape the woman in front of her husband.
When she resisted, both were shot and then hacked to pieces with machetes.
A few hours later, Terver Shaapera and Martina Ityav were killed on the same road to their fields.
In Tyo-Jande, three women were attacked: one died at the scene and two managed to escape.
These crimes occurred while the governor was celebrating the Nwonyo International Fishing Festival in Ibi, attended by national and international authorities, including representatives of President Bola Tinubu.
Kefas declared that Taraba was “safe and open to investors,” highlighting the event as a sign of confidence in the state’s security.
A pattern of systematic violence
Residents describe a siege tactic: small groups of armed Fulani militiamen spread around villages and ambush anyone trying to work the land.
Since 2019, more than 30 Christian villages in Takum, Donga, and Ussa have been abandoned.
The Catholic bishop of Wukari, Rev.
Mark Maigida Nzukwein, reported that more than 300 Christians of the Tiv and Kuteb ethnicities were killed in southern Taraba during this period, with at least 30,000 displaced.
The violence in Taraba is part of a much broader picture of persecution against Christians in Nigeria, especially in the Middle Belt region.
Groups like Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and Fulani militias frequently attack Christian farming communities.
According to Open Doors’ World Watch List 2026 report, of the 4,849 Christians killed for their faith worldwide, 3,490 (about 72%) were murdered in Nigeria.
Human rights organizations, such as International Christian Concern and Intersociety, document thousands of deaths annually.
In the first 96 days of 2026 alone, an estimated 1,402 Christians were killed and 1,800 kidnapped.
Attacks occur in states such as Benue, Plateau, Kaduna, Taraba, and others, often during religious holidays like Easter and Palm Sunday.
Entire villages are destroyed, churches burned, and families forced to flee, generating hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons.
Motivations and official denial
Although the Nigerian government often classifies the conflicts as land disputes between farmers and herders, Christian leaders and international observers point to a clear religious motivation.
Christians are specifically targeted: churches are burned, pastors kidnapped, and rural Christian communities systematically attacked to expel them from their ancestral lands.
Reports from the US Congress and the USCIRF (Commission on International Religious Freedom) condemn the inaction or, in some cases, the complicity of local authorities.
President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” by 2025, highlighting the severity of the persecution.
Fulani militias, often Muslims, are accused of acting with impunity, while the federal government struggles to control Islamic extremism in the north.
In practice, the violence prevents food cultivation, increases hunger, and deepens the cycle of poverty and displacement.
Many Christians live in makeshift refugee camps, in constant fear of new attacks.
While governors celebrate “advances in security,” families bury loved ones and abandon their homes.
The Taraba case illustrates a tragedy that has been repeated for years in Nigeria: Christians are killed simply for their faith and for occupying coveted land.
The international community is watching, but effective protection on the ground is still insufficient.
Families like that of Amadu Chanchanji continue to pay the highest price for living in one of the most dangerous regions in the world for those who profess Christianity.
Published in 04/25/2026 05h16
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
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