Attacks in Nigeria’s Benue State: 500 victims in 2023
Between January and December of 2023, the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi in Nigeria’s Middle Belt suffered 119 attacks by Fulani herdsmen.
In Nigeria’s Diocese of Makurdi and elsewhere in Benue State, more than 400 people were killed, and more than 100 others were wounded, raped, or kidnapped, in attacks on settlements and farming communities in 2023, according to a report prepared by the diocese and sent to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).
The report comes one month after a series of massacres on Christmas Eve that left hundreds dead in Nigeria’s Plateau State.
Father Remigius Ihiyula, a project partner of ACN who heads the Foundation for Justice, Development, and Peace (FJPD) of the Diocese of Makurdi, says that 119 attacks were registered between January 2nd and December 27th of last year.
The report that ACN received says that the attacks were carried out by members of the Fulani ethnic group, nomadic herdsmen who have recently been traveling further south in Nigeria, in search of better grazing grounds for their animals and often entering into conflict with farming communities over land.
“Nigeria’s Middle Belt, which includes Benue State, where the Diocese of Makurdi is located, is known for its fertile lands, and has become a battleground in these conflicts. The Fulani come from places as far as the Republic of Niger or the northern states of Sokoto or Katsina. They travel all the way down, disguised as nomads in search of foliage for their flock, but acting like jihadists, propagating Islam as an ideology. They are armed with heavy weapons, destroying entire villages in surprise attacks and disrupting economic and social activities with no clear reaction from the Nigerian government,” explained Father Remigius.
The report explains that the 119 attacks caused at least 414 deaths in a wide range of communities in the Diocese of Makurdi and other parts of Benue State. But this number only includes victims who were identified. “In at least two cases, the number of deceased is referred to as ‘scores’; in others, the language is ‘many feared dead,’ so the actual number of fatalities is certainly much higher,” added Father Remigius. A further 96 people were injured, and there were at least four cases of rape.
The attacks carried out by the Fulani herdsmen also resulted in the kidnapping of 35 people, the priest told ACN. These kidnappings often lead to ransom requests, which have become a full-fledged industry in Nigeria.
The first quarter of 2023 was the most violent, with 18 attacks in January 15 in February, and another 18 in March, resulting in at least 163 deaths. The summer was relatively peaceful, with only one attack in July, which left two dead, and none in August. April accounted for the largest number of victims, with 63 deaths in only nine attacks.
Although the underlying reason for the attacks has to do with the age-old tension between nomadic herdsmen and settled farmers, the disputes in these parts of Nigeria are aggravated by tribal and religious differences. The Fulani herdsmen are overwhelmingly Muslim, whereas the settled farming communities are generally Christian. In other parts of Nigeria, the attacks have been described as selectively aimed at Christians, confirming a religious element to the violence.
“In the past, the conflict over grazing lands never saw the killings and destruction witnessed today. Before, there was no intention to occupy and displace communities as is being done now. There were also mechanisms for peaceful resolutions and amicable settlements in place, none of which are present today,” said Father Remigius.
Aid to the Church in Need supports the Diocese of Makurdi in Nigeria, providing aid to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Guma and Daudu Camps, two of 14 camps and 13 hosting communities in Benue State. Besides pastoral care, the local Church provides trauma counseling, scholarships, food, and other forms of humanitarian aid.
—Filipe d’Avillez
