Four Christians were killed and 12 others seriously injured as Islamist gunmen stormed a community in Benue State, Nigeria, on 3 August.
Suspected Fulani extremists launched the armed assault on the village of Abaushwa, Guma Local Government Area, at around 11pm.
“We had gone to bed after returning from our farms when we heard heavy gunfire followed by attackers chanting ‘Allahu Akbar’,” said a survivor, Cecilia Vande.
The aftermath of a terrorist attack in Benue State earlier this year [Image credit: Kwande Photos Archive]
“Those who tried to escape were attacked with machetes,” she added.
Benue, in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, is one of the states worst affected by Islamist terrorism. In February, more than 30 people were slaughtered in just three days of violence against Christian communities.
Figures from the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA) indicate that 18,915 Christians were killed by Islamists between October 2019 and September 2025.
The report gives credence to the claim advanced by church and community leaders of a “Christian genocide” in northern and Middle Belt Nigeria.
How you can pray
Please intercede for those bereaved and injured in this recent attack. Pray that our brothers and sisters will continue to look to the Lord for refuge, and that He will deliver them from their enemies (Psalm 7:1).
