‘I Narrowly Escaped’: Displaced Nigerian Women Reeling After Easter Massacre
At least 56 people were killed and over 1,000 displaced after gunmen attacked the Christian-majority communities of Zike and Kimakpa in Plateau State, Nigeria, on April 13, turning Easter preparations into a scene of bloodshed.
“I narrowly escaped the bitter peels of the gunmen that ransacked the Zike community,” Nanret Adams, a Zike resident who lost two family members in the assault, told More to Her Story. The attackers—believed to be Fulani militias, a nomadic and predominantly Muslim group—carried out the raid under the cover of night, when most residents were asleep.
According to Adams, the armed assailants opened fire indiscriminately, torching homes and killing women, children, and the elderly.
“The attackers took advantage of the poor security system to invade communities,” said Adams.
Following the Easter weekend attacks, displaced women farmers, forced from their homes and livelihoods, can no longer return to their fields due to widespread destruction. Once self-sufficient, the majority of the displaced are now reportedly sheltering in neighboring communities and refugee camps.
Indeed, women constitute about 79 percent of Nigeria’s workforce, predominantly in the agricultural sector. The ordeal has heightened food insecurity, threatening the price of food to soar. Those who remain in Zike and Kimakpa told More to Her Story they are too afraid to farm, fearing renewed violence. Many are deeply traumatized, struggling to cope with the fresh loss of their loved ones.
This latest attack underscores a long-running pattern of religiously-motivated violence in Plateau State, where tensions between predominantly Christian farming communities and nomadic Fulani herders—largely Muslim—have escalated for nearly two decades. Just days after the April 13 attack, suspected herders killed 17 people in Benue State, highlighting the growing regional volatility, fueled by land disputes, religious divisions, and the unchecked spread of arms. These incidents punctuate a harrowing trend: Between December 2023 and February 2024, 1336 people were killed in violent attacks in the state, according to Amnesty International.
Women and girls continue to bear the brunt of this crisis, as displacement has cut them off from quality education, healthcare, and their primary means of livelihood—farming. In camps lacking essential services, girls are especially vulnerable, with many forced to abandon school entirely, adding to Nigeria’s 18.3 million out-of-school children.
Ladi Gyang, a refugee from Kimakpa village who has been displaced for over two weeks and is now taking shelter in Jos, Plateau State, expressed concern for the education of her three daughters.
“The West African Senior Secondary Examination (WASSCE) is fast approaching, and two of my daughters are already registered,” Gyang told More to Her Story. “The attack disrupted their preparation and stability. They may lose a year in school because we’re still uncertain about returning home.”
Humanitarian actors and locals argue the government’s approach has only addressed the immediate symptoms of ongoing violence in the region and has yet to deal with the root causes. Over the years, government action has been linear, premised on condemnation, distributing relief materials through the National Emergency Management Agency, and enhancing security in troubled communities. Experts have joined forces with the federal government to develop stringent actions and mechanisms to tackle the violent attack head-on and bring perpetrators to justice.
“Nigeria is our Jerusalem; [we have] no other place to go. We need peace to thrive in our farming business, send our children to school, and contribute to improving food security.” Gyang said. “Terror is senseless, peace is priceless; let’s give peace a chance.”