UK Journalist Exposes Massacres of Christians in Plateau State, Alleges Coordinated Attacks by Fulani Jihadists

 

A new investigative report published by the Daily Mail has placed Nigeria’s worsening security crisis back under international scrutiny, detailing what are described as coordinated and brutal massacres of Christian communities in the country’s Middle Belt region.

British journalist David Patrikarakos, who traveled to affected areas, recounts witnessing scenes of devastation in frontline settlements including Gwet. According to his February 14, 2026 publication, he encountered charred homes, burned churches, and displaced families forced to flee ancestral lands.

In his report, survivors described harrowing accounts of how armed attackers stormed their villages in coordinated raids. One chilling phrase, Patrikarakos wrote, was repeated by multiple witnesses:

“They roasted the pastor and his wife alive in the church.”

The investigation paints a grim picture of widespread destruction. Churches allegedly set ablaze during attacks. Farmlands destroyed, worsening food insecurity in already fragile rural communities. Entire families reportedly wiped out. Villages emptied as residents fled further violence.

Patrikarakos said he traveled through the region under armed escort, describing Nigeria’s Middle Belt as a longstanding “faultline” of ethnic and religious tension. The report attributes the violence to Fulani jihadist elements and armed militant groups operating within the region.

The publication is rapidly gaining international attention and is expected to intensify global scrutiny of Nigeria’s security situation, particularly in central states where cycles of communal and extremist violence have persisted for years.

As of press time, Nigerian authorities had not issued a detailed response to the specific allegations raised in the report.

This story is developing.