Easter carnage: 32 killed in coordinated Sunday attacks across Benue, Kaduna

A devastating wave of coordinated Easter Sunday attacks across Benue and Kaduna states left at least 32 people dead and dozens abducted, capping a “Holy Week” of violence that claimed over 100 lives across Northern Nigeria.

At least 32 people were killed on Easter Sunday in a series of coordinated attacks by armed groups across Benue and Kaduna states, heightening fears of a systemic security collapse under President Bola Tinubu’s administration. In Benue State, the violence was most acute in Mbalom, Gwer East Local Government Area, where at least 17 residents were slaughtered. Simultaneously, Southern Kaduna recorded no fewer than 15 deaths as heavily armed assailants targeted several villages, specifically striking congregations during Easter religious observances. These latest fatalities contributed to a grim holiday toll, with 34 people reportedly killed in these two states alone during the festive period, leaving many survivors to mourn loved ones who were attacked while seeking spiritual solace.

The Easter Sunday bloodshed served as the violent climax to a broader “Holy Week” of terror recorded between March 28 and April 4, 2026. According to a new report from the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, at least 102 people were confirmed dead across Borno, Plateau, Nasarawa, and Kaduna states during this eight-day window. The report detailed a harrowing timeline: “On March 28, at least 13 people were killed in a roadside bombing along the Pulka-Ngoshe road in Borno State. On March 30, 21 people were killed in Kautikari, Chibok area. On March 29 (Palm Sunday), multiple attacks in Kaduna and Plateau states left dozens dead, including wedding guests and residents in village communities.” This surge in violence included the storming of ECWA and Catholic congregations in the Kachia and Kajuru areas, where worshipers were either killed on-site or marched into the forest.

Beyond the immediate casualties, the report highlighted a disturbing trend regarding the fate of those taken into the bush, noting that roughly one in 10 abducted victims does not survive their ordeal. These deaths are attributed to a lethal combination of torture, starvation, untreated injuries, and the harsh conditions of captivity. While some individuals were eventually rescued by security forces in the days following the Easter raids, the sheer scale of the displacement and death has left the Northern region in a state of mourning. “Additional killings and abductions were recorded in Nasarawa and Plateau states in the days leading up to Easter. On Easter Sunday itself, attackers reportedly stormed villages in Kachia and Kajuru areas of Kaduna State, targeting churches including ECWA and Catholic congregations,” the report added, underscoring the specific targeting of religious institutions during the sacred week.

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