Sectarian Murder in Benue State Illustrates Christian Genocide: Clerics, U.S. Observers
Catholic Parishes in Benue Bear Brunt of Attacks
By Mike Odeh James and Olikita Ekani | Truth Nigeria | October 24, 2024
(Makurdi) Whereas Nigeria’s military has battered radicalized bandit-terrorist camps in Nigeria’s Northwest for a year, the Northcentral State of Benue State remains embroiled in a dire sectarian crisis, according to sources interviewed by TruthNigeria.
(Makurdi) Whereas Nigeria’s military has battered radicalized bandit-terrorist camps in Nigeria’s Northwest for a year, the Northcentral State of Benue State remains embroiled in a dire sectarian crisis, according to sources interviewed by TruthNigeria.
According to a disturbing report by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA), Fulani militias have killed approximately 50,000 people in Nigeria over the past four years. In Benue State alone, the numbers are staggering: 2,673 Christians were killed from 2019 to 2023, while only 12 Muslims lost their lives. These alarming statistics underscore the sectarian nature of the violence and prompt urgent questions about the Nigerian government’s response to the crisis. The International Committee on Nigeria has called the phenomenon a Christian Genocide.
“The numbers reported by ORFA are appalling,” Laugesen said. “The violence experienced in Benue is religious-based and not caused by community clashes or climate change. It is well past time for the international community to acknowledge the root cause of attacks in Benue is jihad against Christians, and in particular, Catholic Christians.”
Laugesen emphasized that recognizing the true nature of the violence is crucial to preventing further violence and Nigeria’s potential descent into civil war.
Save the Persecuted Christians continues to advocate for Nigeria to be designated as a country of particular concern and subject to sanctions, Laugesen said.
“The people of Benue demand justice and protection from the state of Nigeria,” she added. “If the false narrative of farmer-herder violence, bought and paid for by the Nigerian government’s lobbyists, continues to be amplified by the U.S. Department of State and others in the international community, the violence will increase, thousands more will die, and Nigeria will devolve into civil war.” Laugesen tells Truthnigeria.