By Palang Paul
At least 16 Christians have been killed after suspected Fulani ethnic militias launched a deadly pre-dawn attack on Nobi community in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
The attack occurred in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State on Sunday, triggering protests as residents blocked major roads to demand urgent action over the persistent killings in the region.
Residents said the armed assailants invaded the community between 3:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m., on Sunday 12th July 2026 opening fire indiscriminately and forcing families to flee for safety.
A resident, Comfort Inalegwu, said the attack claimed at least 16 Christian lives, including her sister and two of her children.
According to her, the attackers broke into her sister’s home and shot her alongside her two children before fleeing. Their bodies were later deposited at the General Hospital mortuary in Otukpo.
She said several other residents sustained injuries, while many others remained unaccounted for as families searched for missing relatives.
The killings sparked widespread outrage, with women and youths barricading the Makurdi–Otukpo Highway, the Enugu–Otukpo Highway and roads leading to the palace of the Och’Idoma, demanding immediate government intervention to end the repeated attacks on Christian communities across Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
Inalegwu warned that the women would sustain the protests and boycott election activities unless authorities took decisive measures to halt the recurring violence.
Reacting, Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned the killings, describing the attack as a brutal assault on innocent residents and a deliberate attempt to undermine peace in the state.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, the governor directed security agencies to intensify surveillance in vulnerable communities, strengthen collaboration with neighbouring states, and ensure those responsible for the attack were arrested and prosecuted.
The latest killings add to a series of deadly attacks that have continued to devastate predominantly Christian farming communities across Benue and other parts of Nigeria’s Middle Belt, deepening concerns over insecurity and repeated mass killings in the region.
Post Comment