Fulani militants have killed over 200 people in Christian areas in Nigeria's Nasarawa state this year

Muslim Fulani herdsmen are said to be responsible for killing more than 200 people living in predominantly Christian communities in the central Nigerian state of Nasarawa this year.

One of the latest attacks occurred during a church service on March 19 in Oshugu village, where two Christians were killed and hundreds were displaced from the Loko Development Area of the Nasarawa Local Government Area (LGA).

"The attack on our village occurred this morning while we were in the church," a survivor identified only as Ittah told Morning Star News on the day of the incident.

"Our village head and one other person died, and many were injured. The sad thing is that these Fulanis have been attacking our communities, and no one is doing anything about it," Ittah continued.

The Nasarawa-based Ajiri Afo Development Association has sent a petition to Nigeria's National State Assembly on March 16 to call attention to the "killings, rapes, and kidnappings" committed by armed Fulani herdsmen against the villagers. It noted that over 200 people have been killed, and 500 others have been injured since January.

"We are in pain and distressed, we are dying as a result of this destruction to our economic activity in our lands. Most of our farms and villages are now deserted due to insecurity," Aminu Suleiman, president of the association, stated in the petition.

He reported that Fulani herdsmen have continually carried out attacks and kidnappings on Ajiri Afo farmers and villages in Nasarawa LGA, Kokona LGA, Agwada, Udege, and Loko Development Areas.

The petition noted that the herdsmen attacked the villages of Udeni Magaji, Ogeni, Oshugu, Odeni Gida, Odu, Oseni, Ogufa, Ogapa, Gwende, and Ajaga.

"We want the government to also ensure the security of the affected communities against further attacks," Suleiman stated.

Fulani herdsmen have been carrying out attacks on Christian farmers in Plateau, Bauchi, Kaduna, Taraba, and Adamawa states for years, but analysts have recently begun to see links between the assailants and the Islamic extremist groups who are intent on exploiting longstanding ethnic, property, and religious conflicts.

On Tuesday, at least 15 communities in Orumba-South Local Government of Anambra State lamented that Fulani herdsmen were raping their wives and children.

Chukwudi Ugochukwu, the spokesperson of the community, made the allegation while speaking during a stakeholders meeting at Orumba-South Local Government Council Secretariat.

Ugochukwu claimed that the herdsmen are destroying the people's livelihoods by allowing their cows to graze on farms. He said that some women and girls who were on their way to the farms have been raped by the herdsmen. He further noted that no fewer than 20 cases of rape have been reported, but he said some have refused to talk for fear of being stigmatized.

About 51 percent of Nigeria's population are Christians, while 45 percent are Muslims. Nigeria is currently ranked as the 12th on the Open Doors World Watch List of countries where Christians suffer the most persecution.