It’s been reported that ten Christians, including a pregnant woman and her unborn child, were recently brutally killed in Nigeria's Middle Belt.

The attacks on April 1 spanned across three communities within St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Bokkos, Plateau State.

Fr. Andrew Dewan, director of communications in the Pankshin Diocese where the atrocities occurred, told Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) about the horrifying scene where a pregnant woman was specifically targeted, and her stomach slit open.

This latest massacre follows a deadly pattern witnessed over Christmas when suspected Fulani militants embarked on a four-day killing spree from December 23, resulting in more than 300 Christian deaths across 26 villages in Bokkos.

Fr. Andrew said eyewitnesses believe the Easter Monday killings may have been acts of revenge linked to earlier conflicts involving local communities and Fulani youths.

The cycle of violence has left many locals desperately seeking ways to defend themselves amidst what they perceive as inadequate government security responses. In times of crisis, communities have increasingly sought refuge in churches, which are struggling to cope with the influx of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

In the aftermath of the Christmas massacre, 16 camps for IDPs were established primarily by the Church to offer shelter to those displaced by the attacks. With the UN Refugee Agency estimating around 3.1 million IDPs across Nigeria due to ongoing insurgency and attacks by extremist groups, the crisis continues to escalate.

Fr. Andrew emphasized the role of faith and pastoral care amid the crisis.