At least 15 people, including women and children, were killed on Monday, 18 August, when armed men carried out evening attacks on Christian farming communities in Chakfem District, Mangu County, Plateau state, Nigeria.
The attackers stormed the villages of Tim, Koppang, Mihidihin, Jiblang, Jilem, Jibin, and Manden between 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., shooting residents, burning homes, and stealing livestock. Thousands were forced to flee, leaving behind their belongings.
Local sources reported that the palace of the district’s traditional ruler was also targeted. His Royal Highness Da Raymond Yombish narrowly escaped, while his home and official vehicle were destroyed.
By Tuesday morning, security personnel recovered multiple bodies from farmlands and nearby streets. The victims were buried in a mass grave the following day due to the high number of casualties and lack of facilities.
Community leaders estimate more than 3,000 Christians were displaced. Families sought safety in nearby villages, church compounds, and open fields, while the injured were taken to the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) Hospital in Chakfem.
Bulus Dabit, president of the Mwaghavul Development Association, accused Fulani militants of carrying out the attack and criticised the late arrival of security forces. However, Ibrahim Yusuf Babayo, chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association in Plateau, denied any involvement, condemning the violence and expressing sympathy for the victims.
Security agencies confirmed their deployment to the area the following morning. Residents argue the response was too late, saying the district’s rugged terrain made it difficult for security forces to arrive in time and provided escape routes for the attackers. Local vigilante groups continue to call for better support to protect their communities.
Mangu County has faced repeated attacks over the past two years, with entire Christian villages destroyed in night raids. Earlier this year, dozens of Christians were killed in Bokkos County during a similar assault.
Human rights organisations say the violence follows a clear pattern of targeting Christian communities. Amnesty International Nigeria described the Chakfem killings as “yet another indication of how vulnerable rural communities of Plateau are to incessant attacks that always entirely destroy the affected communities.”
Between December 2023 and February 2024, Amnesty reported at least 1,336 people killed in Plateau state, including 533 women and 263 children. More than 29,000 were displaced during the same period.
In April 2025, at least 51 Christians were killed in Bassa County in another large-scale attack. Thousands of survivors remain in makeshift camps without enough food, water, or medical supplies.
Local leaders and advocacy groups have called on the Nigerian government to act decisively, deploy more troops, and protect vulnerable border communities.
“We cannot continue to bury our people every week,” one youth leader said.
Adapted from ICC.
