Christian Group Raises Alarm Over Terror Attacks in Benue, Plateau

The Christian Rights Agenda (CRA), a prominent faith-based advocacy group, has urged the federal government to urgently overhaul its counter-terrorism strategy, citing what it describes as a resurgence of violent attacks targeting Christian communities in Benue and Plateau states.

In a statement issued in Abuja, the CRA said over 80 communities across the two states have reportedly been overrun by armed groups it identified as Fulani terrorists. The group warned that the unchecked violence is posing an existential threat to Christian populations and innocent civilians in the region.

“There has been a resurgence of attacks in Benue and Plateau over the past three weeks, resulting in numerous deaths, widespread destruction of property, and the displacement of many families,” the statement read.

According to Reverend Kallamu Musa Dikwa, Secretary General of the CRA, the violence bears the hallmarks of organised terrorism and religious persecution. He described the assaults as calculated attempts to sow chaos and deepen societal division.

“These attacks appear to be well-orchestrated acts of terrorism, intended to entrench violence and anarchy. This is unacceptable,” Dikwa said.

Dikwa also revealed that CRA had deployed field officers to affected areas in Benue, Plateau, and Borno states to conduct independent assessments. Early reports, he said, confirmed that dozens of communities are under the control of armed militia groups.

In response to the escalating violence, CRA said it is building a digital database to chronicle incidents of Christian persecution, particularly in northern Nigeria, where insecurity has intensified in recent years.

While acknowledging President Bola Tinubu’s recent directive to security agencies to intensify their operations, CRA stressed that mere pronouncements are not enough.

“Such directives must go beyond political optics,” the group stated. “They should be fully implemented, and failures must be met with consequences to deter future negligence.”

The group also called on state governors in affected areas to prioritize security over political expediency, urging them to speak out forcefully against the killings and displacement.

“It is time for leaders to call a spade a spade and not hide behind political convenience while communities suffer,” Dikwa added.

CRA’s warning comes amid growing pressure on the federal government to stem rising violence in central and northern Nigeria, which has left thousands dead and displaced over a million people in the past decade.