Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Benue state, central Nigeria, where Fulani herdsmen have killed hundreds of mainly Christian farmers in recent weeks.
Heavily armed herdsmen killed about 300 farmers between February 22 and 29 in the Agatu local government area of this mainly Christian state, and at least eight others were killed on March 8 in Logo area. Five villages have been ‘utterly destroyed’ and homes looted.
An estimated 7,000 people have been displaced and have taken refuge in camps. Government officials say the herdsmen have started to leave voluntarily but locals report the attackers and their cattle are still occupying villages in Agatu.
Herdsmen leaders say they were retaliating for the killing of thousands of cows by local villagers – although there is no evidence of this. A fact-finding team which included a human rights lawyer said it suspected the violence was religiously motivated as churches and Christian homes had been targeted while mosques had been left untouched.
Heavily armed herdsmen killed about 300 farmers between February 22 and 29 in the Agatu local government area of this mainly Christian state, and at least eight others were killed on March 8 in Logo area. Five villages have been ‘utterly destroyed’ and homes looted.
An estimated 7,000 people have been displaced and have taken refuge in camps. Government officials say the herdsmen have started to leave voluntarily but locals report the attackers and their cattle are still occupying villages in Agatu.
Herdsmen leaders say they were retaliating for the killing of thousands of cows by local villagers – although there is no evidence of this. A fact-finding team which included a human rights lawyer said it suspected the violence was religiously motivated as churches and Christian homes had been targeted while mosques had been left untouched.
- Pray that our loving heavenly Father will bind up the broken-hearted and heal those who are wounded.
- Pray for justice for the families of those killed.
- Pray for wisdom for Nigerian officials as they tackle extremism in the form of both the militant Islamist groupBoko Haram and Fulani herdsmen. Pray for an end to the bloodshed in this troubled nation.
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