At least 28 Christians were killed in an overnight assault on Kawel village in Bokkos County, Plateau State, Nigeria, including Rev. Markus Nyam, pastor of the Church of Christ in Nations, according to Christian Daily International and Open Doors U.K.
The attack began around 2 a.m. on June 22 as gunmen moved through the community, residents said. Jesse Peter Dukut, a survivor, described being trapped inside his home as attackers searched the village.
"We were inside our houses when the Fulani herdsmen invaded our village," Dukut said. "If anyone came out of their houses, they were shot at sight. And a sound from any of our houses in the village attracts shooting from the terrorists."
Dukut said phone and telecom services had been cut during the attack, preventing residents from calling for help. He added that the attackers spoke in Fulani and Hausa languages and called out names of Christian leaders, suggesting coordination or intelligence about community members.
Nyam was killed alongside members of his congregation. Church leaders in Bokkos confirmed his death "with deep sadness" and offered prayers for his family and community.
What the Left Is Saying
Human rights advocates and religious freedom organizations say the attack reflects systemic failures in Nigerian government protection of Christian communities. Bishop Ayuba Matawal, a church leader in Bokkos, criticized security response times, saying police arrived only after daylight despite an attack that began at 2 a.m.
"The late arrival of police left the defenseless community entirely at the mercy of their assailants for the duration of the raid," Matawal said according to Open Doors U.K. "This pattern of delayed response has become alarmingly common."
Open Doors and other advocacy groups argue that international pressure on Nigeria's federal government is needed, citing what they describe as inadequate security infrastructure and inconsistent enforcement in the Middle Belt region where Christian farming communities have faced escalating violence for years.
What the Right Is Saying
Some analysts note that most Fulani people do not hold extremist views and caution against conflating ethnic herding communities with radical actors. A 2020 report from the U.K.'s All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom or Belief distinguished between the broader Fulani population and a "radical faction" that has adopted tactics comparable to Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province.
"They adopt a comparable strategy to Boko Haram and ISWAP and demonstrate a clear intent to target Christians and potent symbols of Christian identity," the report states, while also emphasizing that land conflict driven by desertification is a contributing factor alongside ideological motivations.
Security analysts point to the emergence of new threats beyond traditional actors. Christian Daily International reported that a jihadist group called Lakurawa has emerged in Nigeria's northwest with advanced weaponry and links to Al-Qaeda-affiliated insurgents based in Mali, adding complexity to an already volatile security landscape.
What the Numbers Show
According to Open Doors' 2026 World Watch List, 3,490 of the 4,849 Christians killed globally for their faith between October 2024 and September 2025 were Nigerian, representing 72% of the worldwide total during that period.
The Kawel attack follows a pattern of recurring violence in Plateau State's Bokkos County. Open Doors U.K. reported at least 20 deaths from this incident specifically, though initial counts varied as rescue operations continued.
Nigeria ranks among the top countries on Open Doors' annual World Watch List for persecution of Christians, where it has appeared consistently for over a decade amid ongoing conflict between Christian farming communities and predominantly Muslim herding groups in the country's central region.
The Bottom Line
The attack highlights the convergence of ethnic land conflict, terrorism, and religious targeting in Nigeria's Middle Belt. Church leaders say security forces must improve response times to protect vulnerable rural communities, while analysts warn that emerging extremist groups like Lakurawa could further destabilize the region beyond traditional north-south divides.
Survivors and advocacy organizations are calling for accountability regarding delayed police arrival. The incident is likely to intensify international scrutiny of religious freedom conditions in Nigeria as the country continues grappling with multiple security challenges simultaneously.