Grief and fear have spread across Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt following a series of coordinated attacks that left at least 20 Christians dead in Benue and Plateau states in the days leading up to Christmas, according to information obtained by TruthNigeria.

In Guma County, Benue state, residents reported fresh attacks on Christian communities that resulted in the deaths of at least four people. Several women were abducted during the assaults and subjected to torture, while at least one person remains missing, according to local sources. The attacks occurred amid heightened insecurity in rural areas of the state, where farming communities have faced repeated violence.

The violence came shortly after an Iowa-based missionary, Judd Saul, founder and director of Equipping the Persecuted Initiative, released a public warning of imminent attacks on Christian communities across Nigeria’s Middle Belt during the Christmas season. Saul’s alert, which circulated widely online, specifically referenced Plateau state and neighboring areas. Nigerian authorities publicly dismissed the warning as false and announced that no preventive security measures would be taken.

Less than a week later, on Tuesday, Dec. 16, gunmen attacked a group of young Christian miners at a mining camp outside Jos, Plateau state, killing 12 people. The camp is situated about 30 miles south of Jos, the capital of Plateau state, in the Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.

Nanpet David, a resident of the area, told International Christian Concern (ICC) that the attack occurred around 11 p.m. at a mining site near Ratoso Village in the Fan District of Barkin Ladi. According to his account, armed Fulani herdsmen invaded the site and opened fire on the youths.

“As they were mining close to the village, the attackers came and started shooting,” David said. “Twelve lives were lost.”

David added that the assailants also set fire to six motorcycles and one vehicle belonging to the victims. He said some people were taken away during the attack, though the exact number of abducted individuals remains unclear.

Another eyewitness, Habila Dung, who was inside a mining pit during the attack, said he heard some of the attackers speaking English. Dung told ICC that he believes the assailants may have been accompanied by individuals he identified as military personnel, though this claim has not been independently verified.

Residents said the victims were all young men from the community. According to community members, 10 of those killed were married, while two were unmarried. Many of the victims were described as primary breadwinners for their families, relying on small-scale mining for daily income.

The Barkin Ladi attack brings the total number of Christians killed in the Middle Belt to at least 20 since Saul’s warning was issued, based on reports from Benue and Plateau states compiled by TruthNigeria. The attacks occurred despite growing international attention on insecurity in Nigeria, including concerns raised by human rights organizations and previous U.S. sanctions related to religious freedom violations.

No arrests have been announced in connection with the Benue or Plateau attacks, and authorities have not released an official casualty breakdown. Residents in the affected communities report continued fear of further assaults as the Christmas season approaches.

The Middle Belt, which includes Plateau and Benue states, has experienced repeated episodes of violence in recent years, often involving armed groups targeting rural Christian communities. The December attacks mark at least the third major incident in Plateau state this month, according to local security reports, as communities continue to bury their dead and search for missing relatives.