Recent violence in northern and central Nigeria killed more than 100 people in nine communities in a May 15 and 16 attack.

During the past four months, coordinated attacks have claimed the lives of more than 200 individuals, although the exact numbers are not confirmed, according to a May 18 report from The Pillar. The responsible party for these attacks, which are still ongoing, is reported to be Fulani herders. 

"Pray for those who are being persecuted for their beliefs," Nick Chancy, also known as Country Roads Catholic, said in a May 18 post on Twitter.

These relentless assaults have been repeatedly targeting Christian villages, carried out by Muslim Fulani herding communities and Islamist terrorist groups, The Pillar reported. Additionally, it was reported the majority of the recent violence targeted women and children.

Christian villages in Nigeria have faced a lack of government protection, with law enforcement often turning a blind eye and responding slowly, according to The Pillar. These attacks frequently exhibit religious motivations, as terror groups like Boko Haram strive to enforce Islamic-based laws upon Christian communities. More than 50,000 Christians have lost their lives over the last 14 years, while millions have been forced to leave.    

“I have never seen a nation so comfortable watching the killings of its citizens on a daily basis in the hundreds and nothing has been done for the past 15 years,” Bishop Jude Ayodeji Arogundade, bishop of Ondo, Nigeria, said, according to The Tablet. “The government must wake up and show strength and courage and make sure those who carried out the evil that took place in this church and the evil going around our country are brought to book and punished accordingly.”

The Open Doors Watch List of 2023 reported Nigeria is one of the most dangerous places "to follow Jesus," The Tablet reported. Approximately 89% of Christians martyred worldwide come from Nigeria.