Christians Under Attack

A Reuters reporter on the scene with local officials saw 14 bodies from the raid. Witnesses said they were all from one Christian family, and had been shot or hacked to death by Muslim Fulani herdsmen.

 

"In the night around 12.30 a.m. we heard a strange noise. Those people who came to attack us were speaking the Fulani language and they were pointing at houses. They all dressed in military uniforms," said local council chairman Moses Dalyop.

 

"One pregnant woman who was in labour was among those killed. They shot victims and (others) were macheted to death."

 

Plateau state has been caught up in a spiral of tit-for-tat killing between Christian and Muslim gangs since the end of last month, when a group of youths attacked and killed several Muslims as they gathered for prayers at the end of Ramadan.

 

The U.N. human rights office called on Nigeria on Friday to halt the violence in Plateau, in which it said 70 people had been killed since early August.

 

The latest killing would bring that number to more than 80 -- a separate Reuters tally runs to 74 at least. Continued...