A Catholic priest in Benue State has recounted the horror of coordinated Easter Sunday attacks that claimed dozens of lives across Benue and Kaduna states, describing the violence as deliberate, targeted, and aimed at defenceless Christian worshippers.
The distraught cleric revealed that the attacks occurred at the height of Easter celebrations, leaving chaos, destruction, and the death of one of his altar servers along with other worshippers.
“At exactly 11 pm, gunmen struck. People were running for their lives, and many did not survive,” he said, visibly emotional.
The priest insisted the attacks were calculated, with assailants storming churches under the cover of darkness, opening fire indiscriminately, and fleeing before security forces could respond.
“This is an intentional act against Christians celebrating Easter. They came to kill,” he added.
Eyewitness accounts confirm the attacks were coordinated raids targeting both congregations and residential settlements.
In Benue State, at least 17 people were killed in Mbalom, Gwer East LGA, while Kaduna State recorded at least 15 deaths in multiple villages.
The Easter Sunday violence represents the peak of a wave of insecurity across northern Nigeria during the Holy Week period, March 28–April 5, which reportedly claimed over 100 lives in states including Borno, Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue, and Kaduna.
