8/25/2025 Nigeria (International Christian Concern) — At least 15 people, including women and children, were killed on Monday, Aug. 18, when armed men launched a coordinated evening assault on Christian farming villages in Chakfem District, Mangu County of Plateau state, Nigeria.

The attackers entered the villages of Tim, Koppang, Mihidihin, Jiblang, Jilem, Jibin, and Manden between 7:30 and 8 p.m., firing weapons, burning homes, looting livestock, and displacing thousands of residents. Eyewitnesses reported that several houses were set on fire, including the residence of the traditional ruler, whose official vehicle was damaged.

By the following morning, security personnel who arrived at the scene recovered multiple bodies from farms and nearby streets. Survivors said the dead were later buried in a mass grave on Tuesday, Aug. 19, because of the number of casualties and the absence of adequate facilities to preserve the bodies.

Community leaders estimate that more than 3,000 Christians left their homes after the attack. Families sought shelter in neighboring villages and church compounds, while others stayed in open fields. Those injured were taken to the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) Hospital in Chakfem. Many displaced residents told International Christian Concern (ICC) that they left without belongings after food stores and livestock were looted.

His Royal Highness Da Raymond Yombish, the paramount ruler of Chakfem, narrowly escaped with his life. He confirmed that his palace was targeted, and his official jeep was set on fire by the armed men.

“They came straight to my residence,” he said. “I only managed to escape through the back before they burned everything.”

Bulus Dabit, national president of the Mwaghavul Development Association, accused Fulani militants of carrying out the attack, citing longstanding tensions in the area. He criticized the delayed arrival of security forces, attributing it to the community’s difficult terrain.

“By the time the security agents reached Chakfem, it was too late,” he said. “The damage had already been done.”

The chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association in Plateau, Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, rejected the allegation, describing it as baseless.

“We condemn the attack and console those who lost their lives, but we do not know anything about the incident,” he said in a statement.

Security agencies confirmed they were deployed to Chakfem the following morning. Residents argue the response was too late to save lives or property. The rugged terrain of the district, which borders Quanpan Local Government Area and parts of Nasarawa state, makes access difficult and provides escape routes for attackers. Local vigilante groups continue to call for greater support and equipment to defend their communities.

Mangu County has witnessed repeated violence during the past two years. Entire Christian farming villages have been destroyed in night raids, forcing survivors into displacement camps. Earlier this year in Bokkos County, dozens were killed in a similar raid that left churches and homes in ruins.

Human rights organizations said the attacks follow a deliberate pattern of targeting Christian communities. Amnesty International Nigeria, reacting to the Chakfem killings, wrote on Facebook, “The Monday evening attack is yet another indication of how vulnerable rural communities of Plateau are to incessant attacks that always entirely destroy the affected communities.”

The assault on Chakfem adds to a grim record of violence in Plateau. According to Amnesty International, between December 2023 and February 2024, at least 1,336 people were killed in the state. Among them were 533 women, 263 children, and 540 men. During the same period, more than 29,554 people were displaced, including 13,093 children and 16,461 women.

In April 2025, at least 51 Christians were killed in coordinated attacks in Bassa County. Humanitarian agencies report that thousands remain displaced from these earlier incidents, many of them living in makeshift camps without adequate food, water, or medical supplies.

Following the Chakfem attack, residents and local associations called on Nigerian authorities to take decisive action.

“We cannot continue to bury our people every week,” an area youth leader told ICC. “We need protection.”

Civil society organizations and advocacy groups have echoed the same call, urging the government not only to investigate but also to deploy more troops to vulnerable border communities. International observers warn that the attacks in Plateau fit a recurring pattern of Christian persecution in central Nigeria, where armed groups target Christian farming populations to displace them from their ancestral lands.

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