Herdsmen destroy Christian worship building, homes in Nigeria

Fulani herdsmen attacked a predominantly Christian community in Kaduna state, Nigeria, at dawn on Wednesday, January 1, burning down a church building and six houses, according to sources. The attack forced Christians in Unguwar Rogo village, Kajuru County, to flee as the assailants set the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) building and several homes on fire, local residents reported.

Nigeria remains the most dangerous place in the world to follow Christ, with 4,118 people killed for their faith between October 1, 2022, and September 30, 2023, according to Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List (WWL). The country also reported the highest number of kidnappings of Christians, totaling 3,300, and ranked third in attacks on churches and other Christian buildings, with 750 incidents.

In the 2024 WWL, Nigeria was ranked No. 6 among countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, maintaining its position from the previous year.

The Fulani, a predominantly Muslim ethnic group with millions across Nigeria and the Sahel, consist of many clans, most of whom do not hold extremist views. However, some Fulani adhere to radical Islamist ideologies, similar to Boko Haram and ISWAP, and target Christians and Christian symbols, as noted in a 2020 report by the United Kingdom’s All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom or Belief (APPG).

Christian leaders in Nigeria believe these attacks are driven by a desire to forcibly seize Christian lands and impose Islam, as desertification has made sustaining their herds challenging for the herdsmen.

Resident Istifanus Ma’aji described the attack as tragic, noting the vandalism of properties, theft of farm products, and burning of the ECWA Church after looting it. Community leader Ishaya Onussim and resident Zamani Ishaku confirmed that the attackers were Fulani herdsmen, and state police spokesman Mansir Hassan reported that police personnel had been deployed to the area.