Defence/Security

Christian Genocide in Nigeria: Lara Logan Exposes the Truth Behind the Yelewata Massacre.

Published

3 months ago

July 18, 2025

By: Fabian Apechihin

On July 24 at 10:00 a.m., acclaimed war correspondent Lara Logan will hold a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to unveil a harrowing exposé on the systematic persecution of Christians in Nigeria. Central to her presentation is the Yelewata massacre of June 13–14, 2025—one of the deadliest attacks in the ongoing wave of religious violence across the country.

Joining Logan will be Judd Saul, an Iowa-based humanitarian and founder of Equipping the Persecuted, whose investigative platform TruthNigeria.com has produced a powerful documentary on the attack. The film draws on eyewitness testimony, survivor footage, and citizen journalism from the ground in Yelewata to piece together the full scope of the atrocity—and the glaring failures of Nigerian authorities.

A Massacre in Plain Sight

In the early hours of June 13, more than 200 armed militants—believed to be Fulani ethnic militia—descended on the predominantly Christian farming village of Yelewata in Guma County, Benue State. The community, largely composed of internally displaced persons (IDPs) from previous attacks, had sought safety there. What followed was an orchestrated slaughter.

According to reports from Nationatrail.com and eyewitnesses, villagers were locked inside market stalls, soaked with gasoline, and set ablaze. Others were hacked to death with machetes as they tried to escape. The violence left an estimated 270 Christians dead, with the village—98% of whom were Christian (95% Catholic)—reduced to ashes.

Among those bearing personal witness to the tragedy is Franc Utoo, a graduate student from Oklahoma, who lost 27 family members in the attack. “This was not random,” Utoo stated. “My relatives were targeted because they were Christians, and the government did nothing to stop it.”

Forewarning—and Failure

A leaked intelligence memo from Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS), dated May 13, 2025, reportedly warned of an imminent attack on Yelewata. Yet no security measures were taken. Military units arrived more than five hours after the assailants had fled. Survivors were left to bury the dead while battling disease outbreaks, malnutrition, and trauma in the absence of state support.

Evidence to be presented at the press event includes official documents and testimonies exposing a disturbing pattern of government inaction, misinformation, and press suppression. Survivors say they were pressured into repeating a false narrative of a “diversionary” incident to downplay military inaction. Journalists and humanitarian workers were barred from accessing IDP camps where the humanitarian situation remains dire.

“This is not incompetence—it’s complicity,” said Judd Saul. “The Yelewata massacre is a textbook case of religious cleansing, carried out with impunity and concealed through state-supported deception.”

International Response Urged

In light of these findings, Saul and Logan are calling for:

The reinstatement of Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under U.S. law.
Targeted sanctions on Nigerian officials who fail to protect vulnerable communities.
A substantial increase in humanitarian aid and security support for Christian populations under siege.

Amnesty International Nigeria has also called on the Nigerian government to end the near-daily bloodshed in Benue State and bring the perpetrators to justice. Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reported that the attack targeted a mission site hosting over 400 IDPs, and estimates the death toll may exceed 200.

Meanwhile, over 3.3 million Nigerians remain displaced, many of them Christians living in camps with little access to food, clean water, medical care, or shelter. Journalists and aid organizations continue to face barriers imposed by security agencies, further worsening the crisis.

A Crisis Ignored

Lara Logan, known for her fearless reporting from war zones around the globe, has described the violence against Christians in Nigeria as a “genocide happening on our watch.” She has sharply criticized the silence of global leaders and even the Catholic Church, whose adherents made up the majority of Yelewata’s victims.

“Nigeria’s Christians are not collateral damage—they are the targets,” Saul added. “This campaign is organized, it is strategic, and it is being ignored.”

The press conference on July 24 promises to be a defining moment in raising awareness of Nigeria’s religious persecution crisis. Through Logan’s investigative reporting, Saul’s documentary evidence, and Utoo’s firsthand account, the event will shine a long-overdue spotlight on a tragedy the world can no longer afford to ignore.

As Saul put it bluntly:
“The cost of inaction is measured in lives lost, cultures erased, and a future stolen.”

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Defence/Security

Troops launch offensdive on bandits, recover arms and uniforms

Published

4 hours ago

October 17, 2025

Our Reporter

Nigerian Army troops have repelled an attack by armed bandits and recovered weapons and other items during a clearance operation in Ibi Local Government Area of Taraba State.

Zagazola Makama learnt that the operation, codenamed Operation Lafiyan Nakowa, was conducted on Tuesday morning following credible intelligence on the hideouts of the criminals around Badekoshi, Fajul, Kurmi, and Dampar villages.

The troops made contact with the bandits at Badekoshi, forcing them to retreat towards Fajul. They were pursued into the nearby forest, where the soldiers overpowered them with superior firepower.

During the exploitation, the troops recovered one AK-47 rifle, one magazine, a round of 7.62mm special ammunition, five blank cartridges, two fragmental jackets, two camouflage uniforms, and one Jincheng motorcycle suspected to have been stolen during a previous attack in Tapga.

The troops have since returned safely to their base in Dampar.

The general security situation within the area of operation was said to be calm but unpredictable, while troop morale and fighting efficiency remain high.

Defence/Security

Gunmen abduct 20-year-old herder kill 33 cattle in Adamawa

Published

3 days ago

October 14, 2025

Our Reporter

A 20-year-old herder, identified as Manu Mamuda, has been declared missing after suspected gunmen attacked a grazing field in Labau village, Wuroyanka District of Shelleng Local Government Area in Adamawa.

Community sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident occurred on Sunday afternoon when the victim went out to graze his family’s cattle and failed to return home.

Family members and local hunters later organised a search party, which led to the discovery of Mamuda’s blood-stained cap and shoes at the grazing area.

Residents said the attackers also killed about 33 cattle, injured six others, and rustled 18 during the attack.

Items recovered from the scene included two arrows, an empty cartridge shell, and an empty shell of AK-47 ammunition.

As of the time of filing this report, the missing herder had yet to be found, while efforts were ongoing by local vigilantes and hunters to trace the perpetrators and recover the missing cattle.

Defence/Security

US Mayor Slams Nigeria: “You Reject Our Views on Terrorism but Still Want Our Money”

Published

3 days ago

October 14, 2025

Our Reporter

By: Fabian Apechihin

The Republican Mayor of Blanco, Texas, Mike Arnold, has criticised Nigeria for condemning U.S. comments on terrorism while continuing to seek financial aid from Washington.

Speaking on Arise Television on Monday, Arnold said it was hypocritical for Nigeria to reject America’s stance on its internal security issues yet expect the U.S. to provide financial support.

“I don’t understand why a nation as rich in minerals as Nigeria has to beg for help to save its own people,” Arnold said.
“Nigeria has abundant resources to provide stability for its citizens. People are displaced, their homes are destroyed without warning — it’s horrific. You don’t want America to speak on terrorism, but you want America’s money. That makes no sense whatsoever.”

His remarks come amid renewed diplomatic friction between Nigeria and the United States following discussions about religious persecution and terrorism in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, dismissed claims that the violence in Nigeria is driven by religious persecution.

Sowore argued that the country’s crisis stems from bad governance and insecurity, not from animosity between Muslims and Christians.

Reacting to calls by some U.S. lawmakers for Nigeria to be designated a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) over alleged Christian persecution, Sowore described both the Nigerian and U.S. governments as hypocritical in their handling of the issue.

“There’s genocide against the poor — Muslims, Christians, and children alike,” he said.
“Trying to separate it by religion is dishonest. Nigeria doesn’t check who carries a Bible or a Quran before counting the dead.”

He also accused the U.S. of selective outrage, saying Washington ignores similar or worse situations elsewhere.

“Why is the U.S. silent about Gaza, where Muslims are being killed by Israel? That’s international hypocrisy,” Sowore stated.

According to him, insecurity in Nigeria cuts across all regions and religions, with most attacks happening in the North, affecting both Christians and Muslims.

“Gunmen even attack mosques — 35 worshippers were recently killed, and the attackers were likely Muslims too,” he noted.

Sowore warned that framing the crisis as religious only helps Nigerian leaders evade accountability.

“When the U.S. says it wants to protect Christians, that’s not a solution. Even if all Christians were taken away, people would still be killed,” he argued.