Attacks on Nigerian Christian villages have become increasingly sophisticated, with a marked increase in coordination across multiple locations. Witnesses report the use of drones, larger numbers of attackers, and simultaneous assaults on multiple communities.
Plateau State has experienced a prolonged period of violence this year, with Christian residents and local associations describing the attacks as coordinated rather than isolated. Data compiled by a local association reveals that at least 121 people were killed between May and July 11, 2026, in communities across various local government areas.
The attacks have been characterized as a "fresh wave of coordinated attacks," with near-simultaneous raids on multiple communities on the same night, often preceded by armed groups camped across the state ahead of scheduled assaults. The most recent mass killing struck Kum, a village in Riyom Local Government Area, where attackers stormed the community around 11:30 p.m. on July 11, killing nine members of a single family.
Residents in Kum reported seeing drones over the community during the attack, and community leader Chollom Dung expressed uncertainty about who operates the drones. The attackers are believed to have come from Fass and Rankum, a Berom village in Jol Ward, Riyom LGA, which was seized by armed Fulani militias in 2001 and renamed Mahanga.
A pattern of occupation and annexation has been reported in the region, with at least 64 communities in Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, and Riyom local government areas having been forcibly displaced and taken over by criminal groups. This pattern has continued in Jol, a Christian village of approximately 1,200 people in Riyom LGA, where youth leader Mr. Gankis Emmanuel Dalyop described the assault on his community.
Dalyop reported that attackers travel from Rankum (Mahanga), Fass, Loton, and several other local communities, which were driven out by the attackers and are now used as staging points. Attackers typically arrive armed with sophisticated weapons and arrive in large numbers, often reaching 200 to 400 people. Dalyop believes the pattern has changed from prior years, with attackers now coming on foot without their cows and intending to drive the remaining population out permanently.
Residents in Jol contact security personnel when attacks begin, and local vigilantes stationed at observation points provide early warning by monitoring approach routes. However, security forces have on occasion remained overnight in the village, but attackers retreat into surrounding valleys when personnel approach, making engagement difficult.
Dalyop dated the underlying land conflict to about 25 years, centered on control of territory. He emphasized that the Fulani do not attack one another, but only the Christian communities. Residents identify attackers as Fulani based on their knowledge of the local Fulani neighbors and sometimes receive information about impending attacks from private sources.
