Assault on Sai community comes days after two Fulani leaders were slain, raising fears of reprisal violence across the region.
By Ekani Olikita
(MAKURDI) — BREAKING: At least 15 Christians were killed and more than 10 others injured in an overnight attack on Sai community in Benue State.
According to local officials and community leaders, more than 100 heavily armed Muslim Fulani Ethnic Militia (FEM) stormed Sai community in Mbajir Precinct of Katsina-Ala County (Local Government Area late) Tuesday and continued the assault into Wednesday.
The attack followed just five days after the killing of the Benue State chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Mohammed Risku, and his associate, Yakubu Isah, in the neighboring Otukpo Local Government Area.
The timing has fueled fears among residents that the latest assault may have been a reprisal, although authorities have not publicly established a link between the two incidents
The killings also came days after Donald Trump said U.S. military action had helped curb attacks on Christians in Nigeria. His remarks have generated debate, but violence has continued in parts of Benue State
Community Reports Deadly Assault
In a statement issued Wednesday, the Mbajir Development Association said more than 100 armed men on motorcycles attacked the Sai community from late Tuesday until early Wednesday.
“The barbaric, heinous and gruesome murder of our people was carried out by deadly Fulani militia,” according to the statement of President Agee Sai and General Secretary Tindiga Aondover.
Katsina-Ala County Chairman Justin Shaku in a phone interview with TruthNigeria Correspondent, confirmed the attack.
“More than 15 persons were killed, many injured and several are still missing. So far, we have recovered six bodies and evacuated 17 injured victims to NKST Hospital in Sai. We believe the death toll may increase as search teams continue looking for those missing in surrounding bushes.”
He added that security personnel had been deployed to the area.
“This is a recurring situation our people are facing. We need help,” Shaku told TruthNigeria
Residents Describe Hours of Violence
Terfa Abu, a resident of Sai, criticized what he described as the slow response by security forces.
“The attack lasted for hours. The Tactical Air Command is in Makurdi, just 81 miles to our community but no reaction. We kept hoping that fighter aircraft or security personnel would arrive to dislodge the attackers, but nobody came while our people were being killed,” he told TruthNigeria
Another resident, Jimmy Sambe, said he saw dozens of armed attackers moving from house to house.
“I saw more than 100 armed Fulani terrorists, chanting ‘Allahu Akbar’ and speaking Fulfulde as they moved from house to house attacking people.”
“The attack lasted more than five hours, but no police or military personnel came to our rescue,” Sambe told TruthNigeria
Governor Orders Security Crackdown
Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia (a Former Catholic Priest) condemned the killings, describing them as a “senseless assault on innocent citizens.”
“This attack is an ugly, cowardly and unacceptable act of violence, particularly at a time when our farmers have returned to their ancestral lands,” the governor said in a statement issued through his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula.
“We will not allow the forces of darkness to drive our people away from their lands.”
Alia directed security agencies to deploy additional personnel to Sai and surrounding communities, launch a manhunt for those responsible, and strengthen protection for farmers across the area.
Security Analyst Warns of Escalation
Security analyst and Benue State Director of Information, Christopher Ayati, said the latest violence highlights the need for a swift, impartial investigation and stronger preventive security measures.
“Whenever high-profile killings are followed by fresh attacks, authorities must avoid speculation and instead establish the facts through credible investigations,”
“The priority should be protecting vulnerable communities, preventing retaliatory violence and ensuring those responsible are identified and prosecuted regardless of their affiliation”, Ayati told TruthNigeria
MACBAN is viewed by most Nigerians and International workers in Nigeria as a terrorist organization and there are growing calls, including by the United States Congress to designate it as a terrorist organization.
Fulani is the 4th most deadly group, killing more than Boko Haram and Islamic State according to the Global Terror Index https://www.csw.org.uk/nigeria-fulanimilitia
Ekani Olikita is a conflict reporter for TruthNigeria
