A coalition of civil society organisations has raised the alarm over recurring attacks during Christmas celebrations across parts of Northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt, calling on the Federal Government to urgently protect vulnerable communities and Internally Displaced Persons.

The groups said the persistent pattern of violence during the yuletide had resulted in mass killings and displacement of thousands of residents over the years, warning that failure to act decisively could worsen insecurity and humanitarian crises.

In a joint statement signed by House of Justice, Global Rights, Atrocities Watch Africa, The Kukah Centre, Middle Belt Times, Resilient Aid and Dialogue Initiative, among other civil society organisations and individuals and issued on Friday, the coalition recalled that since the 2010 Christmas Day twin bombings in Ungwan Rukuba and Gada Biyu in Jos, Plateau State, and the 2011 attack on St. Theresa Catholic Church, Madalla, Niger State, communities in the region have repeatedly come under deadly assaults during the festive season.

They cited the December 24, 2016, attack on the Goska community in Jema’a Local Government Area of Southern Kaduna, where about 20 persons were killed and hundreds displaced.

According to the groups, the violence escalated during the 2023 Christmas celebrations when no fewer than 212 persons were killed in attacks across Bokkos and Barkin Ladi Local Government Areas of Plateau State, forcing over 10,000 residents to flee their homes.

They also noted that during the 2024 Christmas celebrations, about 46 worshippers were killed in Anwase, Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State, leading to the displacement of about 6,800 persons, who joined more than 150,000 already displaced residents in the state.

The coalition further expressed concern over the recent kidnapping of 20 worshippers at an ECWA church in Ayetorokiri, Bunu-Kabba, Kogi State, days ahead of the 2025 Christmas celebrations.

The groups warned that the repeated attacks underscored a dangerous overlap between faith-based insecurity and domestic terrorism, stressing the need for proactive security measures.

They urged the Federal Government to immediately deploy adequate security to protect communities, churches, and worship centres, particularly as citizens travel for Christmas festivities.

The coalition also called for urgent attention to the welfare and protection of Internally Displaced Persons and displaced communities across the Middle Belt, noting that many continue to face loss of homes and livelihoods, lack of documentation, and heightened vulnerability to violence.

They further appealed for economic empowerment initiatives to reduce prolonged displacement and demanded the immediate mobilisation of the National Emergency Management Agency and State Emergency Management Agencies to provide food, water, shelter, and security for displaced persons during the festive period.

The statement also called for the safe, voluntary, and dignified return or resettlement of displaced persons, with affected communities actively involved in reintegration processes.

In addition, the groups urged closer collaboration between statutory security agencies and local vigilante groups to strengthen intelligence gathering and community policing, while calling on authorities to act swiftly on security reports to prevent further attacks. (The PUNCH)

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