Investigating a village of widows in Nigeria amid fears of a 'Christian genocide'

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 11:39:05 +0000

In central Nigeria, a wave of violence has been claiming thousands of lives - largely hidden from the eyes of the world.

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Channel 4 News visited what's become a village of widows in Plateau State, where dozens of women say their husbands and children were murdered by Fulani militia groups.

The victims in this part of the country are predominantly Christian. Many of them believe Fulani fighters, who are predominantly Muslim, are targeting them for their faith.

Those claims are controversial.

They prompted Donald Trump to launch airstrikes in Nigeria over Christmas, supposedly in defence of Christian communities. The Nigerian government, however, categorically rejects allegations of religious persecution, pointing to other factors including criminality and a struggle over grazing land. President Tinubu vowed to end the killings during a visit to Plateau State earlier this month.

So what's really going on?

The testimony gathered by Jamal Osman contains descriptions of extreme violence which you may find distressing.

Reporter: Jamal Osman
PD: Freddie Gower
Camera Operator: Simpa Samson
Editor: Einav Leshetz Lovatt

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