Fulani Militants Kill 13 Christians in Benue State, Nigeria

Ochi Igbade, one of the four Christians killed in attack on Otobi Akpa village. Photo: Inside BENUE News/Facebook

ABUJA, NIGERIA — In January 2026, violent attacks by Islamic Fulani herdsmen in central Nigeria’s Benue State left at least 13 Christians dead. On January 1, four Christians were shot in their homes in Otobi Akpa village, Otukpo district, while dozens more went missing. Additional attacks on January 5 and 6 claimed nine lives in surrounding districts, including five farmers in Kwande County and four members of one family in Guma County.

Local authorities describe the assaults as increasingly routine, with armed Fulani targeting predominantly Christian villages, destroying homes and crops, and displacing residents. Community leaders and Christian observers link the violence to radical Islamist elements among the Fulani, alleging that the attacks aim to seize land and drive Christians from central Nigeria.

Nigeria’s Middle Belt continues to be a flashpoint for anti-Christian violence, compounded by the presence of jihadist groups and weak federal enforcement, leaving Christian communities particularly vulnerable to raids, killings, and property destruction.

Previously, the UOJ reported that Islamists killed 5 and kidnapped 110 Christians in Nigeria. 

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