The night of December 24, 2024, was meant to be filled with songs and candles in Maiyanga village, Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State. Instead, it became a night of blood and fire.
Rev. Yakubu Mutong, a pastor with the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), recalls that evening as “a mournful Christmas” — the night his village was erased.
He stood before the charred remains of his home, his voice shaking as he told his story. “I lost everything — my house, food, furniture. Even our church was burnt down. Personally, I lost seven of my brothers in one night.”
According to Rev. Mutong, heavily armed Fulani militants stormed Maiyanga and at least ten other villages in coordinated attacks. They killed more than 150 people, mostly Christian villagers preparing for Christmas celebrations.
The attackers reportedly surrounded the settlements, firing at residents who tried to flee. Churches, homes, and food stores were torched. “From the records we collected, over 150 people were killed in one day. It was supposed to be Christmas, but for us, there was nothing to celebrate,” he said.
He described a scene of unimaginable horror: families burned inside their homes, worshippers slaughtered near the church, and survivors hiding in the nearby bushes until dawn.
A Pattern of Silence and Survival
The December 2024 massacre was one of several waves of violence that have swept through Bokkos and surrounding communities in Plateau State, a region long trapped between ethnic and religious conflict.
Local rights groups and security watchers, including the International Crisis Group and Amnesty International, have repeatedly documented such attacks, accusing authorities of failing to hold perpetrators accountable.
Despite official condemnations, displaced residents say they have seen no justice or meaningful resettlement. Many survivors now live in makeshift camps, surviving on aid from churches and charities.
Rev. Mutong’s faith, however, remains unbroken. “Everything has been destroyed, but we thank God that some of us are still alive,” he said quietly.
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