Nigeria: Fulani herders kill 28 Christians in Plateau state raid

On June 22, 2026, armed Fulani herders attacked Kawel village in Bokkos County, Plateau state, Nigeria, killing 28 Christians, including Rev. Markus Nyam of the Church of Christ in Nations. Survivors said the attackers arrived around 2 a.m., spoke in Fulani and Hausa, and called out the names of Christian leaders, indicating they were guided by local Fulani herders. Phone and telecommunications services were cut, preventing villagers from contacting security forces.

The massacre is part of a broader pattern of violence against Christian farming communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where religious persecution, forced displacement, and land seizures have been reported. Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List notes that Nigeria accounted for 72 % of the 4,849 Christians killed worldwide between October 2024 and September 2025, ranking the country seventh among nations where it is most difficult to be a Christian.