Fulani herdsmen began the new year by attacking a predominantly Christian community at dawn on Wednesday (Jan. 1) in Kaduna state, Nigeria, burning down a church building and six houses, sources said.
Area Christians were forced to flee as the herdsmen attacked Unguwar Rogo village, Kajuru County in the southern part of the state, setting the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) building ablaze along with the homes, according to area residents.
“Tragic New Year’s attack, terrorists invaded one of our communities, Unguwar Rogo of Ugom community under Maro Ward, Kajuru LGA, Kaduna state,” said resident Istifanus Ma’aji in a text message to Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “It is quite unfortunate that the terrorist herdsmen have vandalized many valuables, stole all kinds of farm products they came across, burned down about six houses, and set fire to the ECWA Church after looting all the movable valuables in the church and the pastorium.”
All Christians in the community have been forced out of the village, he added.
“The year is too young for us to start like this. Please, God our Creator, intervene,” Ma’aji said.
Community leader Ishaya Onussim confirmed the reports.
“The attackers, whom we believe are Fulani herdsmen, vandalized properties, stole various farm products, burned down six houses, and set the ECWA church in Unguwar Rogo ablaze, after looting valuables from the church and its pastorium,” Onussim told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “All our people have fled into the bushes, abandoning their belongings in a bid to save their lives.”
Resident Zamani Ishaku identified the assailants as Fulani herdsmen who “have continually attacked our communities.”
Mansir Hassan, state police spokesman, confirmed the attack, adding, “Police personnel have been deployed to the area.”
Nigeria remained the deadliest place in the world to follow Christ, with 4,118 people killed for their faith from Oct. 1, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2023, according to Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List (WWL) report. More kidnappings of Christians than in any other country also took place in Nigeria, with 3,300.
Nigeria was also the third highest country in number of attacks on churches and other Christian buildings such as hospitals, schools, and cemeteries, with 750, according to the report.
In the 2024 WWL of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria was ranked No. 6, as it was in the previous year.
Numbering in the millions across Nigeria and the Sahel, predominantly Muslim Fulani comprise hundreds of clans of many different lineages who do not hold extremist views, but some Fulani do adhere to radical Islamist ideology, the United Kingdom’s All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom or Belief (APPG) noted in a 2020 report.
“They adopt a comparable strategy to Boko Haram and ISWAP and demonstrate a clear intent to target Christians and potent symbols of Christian identity,” the APPG report states.
Christian leaders in Nigeria have said they believe herdsmen attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt are inspired by their desire to forcefully take over Christians’ lands and impose Islam as desertification has made it difficult for them to sustain their herds.
