While Christians across the globe mark Easter Sunday with messages of hope, love, and renewal, the joy of the season has been marred in parts of Nigeria by an eruption of violence that has left scores dead and thousands displaced.
In Plateau State, particularly in the Bokkos and Bassa local government areas, waves of brutal attacks by heavily armed assailants have claimed the lives of more than 100 people. This grim figure makes the April 2025 assaults among the deadliest the region has seen since the horrific Christmas Eve massacre in 2023, when approximately 150 people were killed.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang condemned the attacks in strong terms, describing the killings as a deliberate campaign of annihilation.
“These are not random incidents. They are genocidal,” he stated. “Over 60 communities have now been forcefully taken over by these land-grabbing marauders.”
The violence has not been confined to Plateau. In neighboring Benue State, a wave of similar attacks has devastated villages in the Ukum and Logo areas, reportedly carried out by suspected herdsmen. As of Saturday, the death toll there had reached 56.
Governor Hyacinth Alia, speaking on the growing unrest, issued a direct plea to President Bola Tinubu, urging urgent federal intervention. “The situation is deteriorating fast,” Alia warned. “We need the presidency to take decisive steps to curb this insecurity before it consumes more lives.”
Traditionally, Easter is a period marked by solemn reflection, prayer, and celebration following the 40-day Lenten season. Churches across Nigeria still observed the occasion, but the spirit of joy was subdued for many communities grappling with unimaginable loss.
As over two billion Christians worldwide celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ — a symbol of triumph over death — many Nigerian families, especially in the Middle Belt, spent the holy day in mourning, their faith tested by tragedy.
