Over 200 innocent civilians were mass-murdered by radical Muslim Fulani herdsmen outside the city of Jos, Nigeria in the Plateau state region.
In a series of attacks taking place June 23-24, the Islamic extremists raided ten predominantly Christian communities where they assaulted and killed men, women, and children, claiming that the attacks were in retaliation for cattle thefts, according to Morning Star News.
In several villages, church buildings were targeted to be burned down and their pastors victimized during the attack.
Local law enforcement claimed that 86 people were murdered, but according to Morning Star News, whose correspondent visited two morgues in Jos, the bodies of victims numbered over 200.
Survivors also dispute the low number, with one victim telling the press, “In Nghar village alone, about 70 corpses of Christians were recovered and the entire village has been burnt down by the Fulani herdsmen.”
No arrests have been made for the attacks.
Plateau Gov. Simon Lalong denounced the assaults, saying, “The gory pictures of the killing of innocent citizens, women and children continue to torment our hearts, and it sends the serious message that something drastic needs to be done comprehensively, to nip once and for all the ugly menace of attacks that has come to be associated with suspected militia herdsmen.”
He added, “These re-occurring attacks have regrettably opened up space for all manners of criminality by criminal elements and conflict merchants, who engage daily in cattle rustling, theft, banditry, gun running and other forms of crimes amongst our citizens.”
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the attacks, but there have been calls for Buhari to either increase security or resign.
Human rights advocate Femi Falana called on the president to arrest the perpetrators, or the lack of prosecution “will attract an institution of a case against the federal and state governments for condoning crimes against humanity and genocide.” He continued, “If Your Excellency does not take appropriate action to stop the killings in Plateau, we shall not hesitate to report the authorities of the federal government and the Plateau state government to the Special Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court for condoning crimes against humanity and genocide.”
President Buhari has rebuffed calls for his resignation, claiming that he has increased security during his tenure, according to CNN.
This is just the latest is a series of attacks by radical Muslims living in the African nation. In February, 19 Christians living in the Numan and Demsa areas were murdered by the same radical group of Muslim extremists.
According to the Open Doors’ 2018 World Watch List, an organization tracking the persecution of Christians, Nigeria places 14th in the ranking.