By Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
JOS, NIGERIA (Worthy News) – Details have emerged about a massacre of at least 32 people, including women, children, and a three-month-old baby, in what Christians called “a brutal attack” on the mainly Christian village of Jebu, in Nigeria’s northern Plateau State.
Local sources say the village was surrounded and ambushed Monday, July 14, “without warning” by Fulani militias, a group linked to a primarily Muslim nomadic ethnic group.
The attack began around 3:00 a.m. local time as gunmen opened fire on sleeping residents and set dozens of homes ablaze, witnesses recalled. “We woke up to the sound of gunshots. The entire village was encircled. No one could escape,” said Ezekiel Dung, a local farmer who narrowly fled with his family.
Eyewitnesses reported that children and infants were among those “brutally murdered,” including a baby just three months old.
Local church leader Pastor Musa D. Alamba lost his home, church, and vehicle during the onslaught. “Words cannot describe the tragedy that struck our community,” he said. “We are devastated.”
Eyewitnesses alleged that Nigerian army personnel were present nearby during the attack, but failed to intervene.”
Some villagers claim that the military blocked even the youth who tried to defend the village. The army did not immediately comment on Monday.
However, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang visited the devastated village and condemned the massacre as a “coordinated attack on innocent civilians.”
He rejected “the long-standing narrative” that this is primarily a conflict between farmers and Fulani herdsmen desperately searching for land for their livestock.
The governor argued that the recent murders made clear that there “appears to be targeted violence,” including against Christians. The governor promised relief efforts, including psychosocial support and emergency housing for survivors.
The Jebu massacre is not an isolated incident, according to Christian investigators.
In recent months, Christian villages across Plateau State have been repeatedly attacked. Advocacy group
International Christian Concern and other human rights activists say over 150 people have been killed in similar violence this year alone.
The tactics remain consistent: nighttime raids, systematic killings, and the burning of homes and churches, well-informed Christians said.,
What began as land-use conflicts evolved into religiously motivated violence. Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and other areas are frequent targets, while the federal government faces criticism for failing to prosecute perpetrators.
With attacks escalating, Christian leaders called for prayer, international attention, and concrete support. “The church in Nigeria is bleeding,” added a local pastor. “We need more than comfort — we need justice.”
He and other Christians said it was crucial to pray “For comfort and healing for the families affected by the Jebu attack” as well as for “protection of Christian communities across Nigeria.”
They also urged prayers for “repentance and reconciliation, even among the attackers.” It was crucial to pray “For justice and bold political action by Nigerian authorities,” the Christians stressed.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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