Nigeria: ‘Ocean of blood’ as over 100 christians slain prelude to Easter Sunday

Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Diocese of Sokoto, Nigeria has lamented a week of terrorist violence in which over 100 Christians have been murdered. 

He made this revelation to reporters on Saturday, April 19, 2025 ahead of Easter Sunday.

Bishop Matthew Hassan severely criticised the lack of a comprehensive strategy by the government to combat the terrorists following attacks which include a Palm Sunday massacre that left 56 people dead.

The Palm Sunday attack came just a week after a similar attack in five villages to the south of Jos left at least 50 people dead.

According to report KNews gathered that Fulani herdsmen stormed the village of Zikke in Plateau State leaving behind the corpses of deceased women, children, and senior citizens in their homes, which they torched as they left the village.

Relatives were traumatised since they had to bear the stench of the burned bodies of their loved ones from smoking compounds, reports said. 

Bishop Kukah said: “In less than one week, we have lost almost over 100 lives across the country.”

“The attack on Zikke was another tributary of blood. That link up with older tributaries and continue their flow slowly but surely into an invisible ocean of blood that now threatens to swallow the Plateau”, he said. 

Bishop Kukah expressed disappointment that while the blood of Nigerians flows like streams, those who are supposed to have taken action seem to have taken “the tranquilising drug of complacency”. 

“This is Nigeria, no amount of blood is ever enough to make us pause,” the bishop said.

The bishop expressed concern over the lack of a plan or strategy to confront the enemies, emphasising that they have become invisible by embedding themselves in all structures of power across the land. 

He however condoled with family of the victims and  call on Nigerian authorities to intervene into the situation for peace to return back in that part of the country.

BY KNews and additional reports 

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Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of Roman Catholic Dioceses of Sokoto, Nigeria