The US has reiterated it won’t give up on Nigeria’s Christians, especially in the Middle-belt, where many communities have come under sustained attacks by the Fulani militias.
The US in a statement by the Bureau of African Affairs stated this against the backdrop of the recent attacks in Plateau State.
According to the US, it would continue working with the Nigerian government to protect Christians in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, just as it urged the Nigerian authorities to step up the momentum of their response to the recent violence.
“We will continue to work with the Nigerian government to protect Christians in the Middle Belt. We urge Nigeria to continue the momentum and defend the Barkin Ladi communities in particular.”
The US commended Nigeria’s response to the latest attacks attributed to Fulani militant groups, but called on the Nigerian government to sustain its security operations and protect vulnerable communities in Plateau State’s Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.
“The United States commends Nigeria’s strong response to the latest attacks from Fulani militant groups,” the statement said.
The statement comes amid renewed violence in Plateau State, with several attacks reported in and around Barkin Ladi and neighbouring communities in recent weeks.
At least eight Christians, including a Baptist pastor and a church employee, were reported killed in attacks in Barkin Ladi over the weekend of September 19–20, according to Christian Daily International/Morning Star News, which cited local sources and other reports.
The report said the pastor and his secretary were killed in Dorowa Babuje while they were travelling to church services.
Another incident reported on September 19 involved five people who were ambushed in Gana-Ropp in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.
A conflict-monitoring tracker said the deaths were corroborated by separate reporting, while the alleged Fulani-militia attribution came from local residents and Christian-focused reporting. It noted that the specific religious motive for the attack had not been independently established.
The renewed attacks have drawn growing international attention to the security situation in Plateau State and the wider Middle Belt.
