{"id":2589851,"date":"2026-04-12T13:53:01","date_gmt":"2026-04-12T17:53:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/more-than-two-dozen-christians-killed-and-kidnapped-in-nigeria-over-easter-weekend\/"},"modified":"2026-04-12T13:55:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T17:55:23","slug":"more-than-two-dozen-christians-killed-and-kidnapped-in-nigeria-over-easter-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/more-than-two-dozen-christians-killed-and-kidnapped-in-nigeria-over-easter-weekend\/","title":{"rendered":"More Than Two Dozen Christians Killed and Kidnapped in Nigeria Over Easter Weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmore-than-two-dozen-christians-killed-and-kidnapped-in-nigeria-over-easter-weekend%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2589851&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The Easter weekend in northern Nigeria saw at least 26 Christians killed and many more abducted by Islamic militants, with multiple attacks reported by The Washington Post and BBC. On April 4, 17 people were killed in the Mbalom community in Benue state, and four <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jamie-raskin-releases-letter-purportedly-from-capitol-police-officers-calling-for-capitol-riot-commission\/\" title=\"Jamie Raskin Releases Letter Purportedly From Capitol Police Officers Calling For Capitol Riot Commission\">police officers died<\/a> in Borno state in a firefight with an ISIS-affiliated group. On Easter Sunday, five worshippers were killed during a church service in Kaduna state. the Nigerian army said remains of five victims were recovered, and militants left behind hostages; BBC later reported that 31 hostages were freed after troops intervened. Ahead of Easter, Palm Sunday violence in Plateau state killed at least 20 people. U.S. officials, including Trump administration representatives and Rep. Chris Smith, urged Nigeria to <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >deploy adequate security<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/josh-hawley-and-kirsten-gillibrand-are-teaming-up-to-improve-the-militarys-response-to-sexual-assault\/\" title=\"Josh Hawley And Kirsten Gillibrand Are Teaming Up To Improve The Military\u2019s Response to Sexual Assault\">hold perpetrators accountable<\/a> to protect Christian communities, with ongoing debate about the government\u2019s response. The reporting is drawn from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/anti-lockdown-billboard-in-calif-stirs-controversy-as-state-moves-closer-to-reopening-schools\/\" title=\"Anti-lockdown billboard in Calif. stirs controversy as state moves closer to reopening schools\">sources including<\/a> The Washington Post,BBC,and Fox News.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>There were at least 26 Christians murdered across northern Nigeria over the Easter weekend, with even more taken captive by Islamic militants.<\/p>\n<p>Nigerian military officials are identifying at least three attacks, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/2026\/04\/06\/nigeria-attacks-easter-weekend\/e3e821a8-319a-11f1-b85b-2cd751275c1d_story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">report<\/a> from The Washington Post.<\/p>\n<p>On April 4, 17 were killed in Benue state by armed men who assailed the Mbalom community.<\/p>\n<p>Also on April 4, four police officers in Borno state were killed in a firefight with a group affiliated with the Islamic State.<\/p>\n<p>Then on Easter Sunday, five people were murdered during a service in Kaduna state.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadAnyclip() { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst container=document.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\"); 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\t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Regrettably, the remains of five victims already killed by the terrorists were also recovered at the scene,&rdquo; the Nigerian army said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The fleeing terrorists are believed to have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dozens-of-christians-killed-taken-hostage-in-easter-attacks\/\" title=\"Dozens of ... ..., Taken Hostage in Easter ...\">sustained significant casualties<\/a>, as evidenced by blood trails along their escape routes.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Though the Islamic militants had taken hostages during the attack on April 5, 31 of them were freed after Nigerian troops responded, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cgld111d9jpo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">report<\/a> from the BBC.<\/p>\n<p>The army said that a &ldquo;fierce firefight&rdquo; resulted in the militants leaving behind the bodies and the hostages.<\/p>\n<p>While the government portrayed the response as prompt, some local media said that the militants were able to operate unrestricted for a long time, per the BBC.<\/p>\n<p>The days preceding Easter saw similar violence in Nigeria.<\/p>\n<p>On Palm Sunday, an overnight attack left at least 20 dead in Plateau state, with militants on bikes firing sporadically into the Christian community, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/world\/gunmen-bikes-storm-nigeria-village-palm-sunday-killing-least-20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">report<\/a> from Fox News.<\/p>\n<p>Trump administration officials have been raising concerns about the attacks targeting Nigerian Christians for months, as well as taking steps to ensure the Nigerian government is responding to the threats.<\/p>\n<p>The attacks ahead of Easter also drew the attention of Rep. Chris Smith, a Republican from New Jersey who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;As Christians in Nigeria observe Holy Week and approach Easter Sunday, a time of profound spiritual reflection and celebration, I urge the Government of Nigeria to take immediate and concrete steps to ensure the safety and security of all Christian communities in the country,&rdquo; Smith wrote in a <a href=\"https:\/\/chrissmith.house.gov\/news\/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415406\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This includes deploying adequate security forces and holding perpetrators to account.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The lawmaker added that &ldquo;the continued failure to prevent and intercept these targeted attacks not only deepens human suffering, but also threatens the fabric of religious coexistence in the region.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! 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Nigerian security officials say there were at least three separate attacks, according to The Washington Post. On April 4, gunmen killed 17 people in the Mbalom community of Benue state. Also on April 4, four police officers in Borno state were killed in a firefight with a group linked to Islamic State. On Easter Sunday, five people were killed during a church service in Kaduna state.<\/p>\n<p>The Nigerian army said the remains of five victims were recovered at the scene, and that the fleeing militants likely suffered heavy losses, as indicated by blood traces along their escape routes. After the April 5 attack, militants held hostages, but Nigerian troops freed 31 of them following the response, according to the BBC. The army described a fierce firefight that forced the militants to leave behind bodies and hostages. Some local media suggested the militants operated with relatively little interference for an extended period, contrasting with official claims of a prompt response. In the days leading up to Easter, similar violence occurred, including a Palm Sunday assault in Plateau state that left at least 20 dead as militants on motorcycles fired into the Christian community, per Fox News.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. officials have been voicing concerns about assaults on Nigerian Christians for months and have urged the Nigerian government to respond. Rep. Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, pressed Nigeria to deploy adequate security forces and hold perpetrators accountable, arguing that failure to prevent and stop these attacks harms human suffering and threatens religious coexistence in the region<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2589852,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Michael-Featured-Image-899.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[7072,11733,19990],"class_list":["post-2589851","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-christians","tag-killings","tag-nigeria"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Michael-Featured-Image-899.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2589851","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2589851"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2589851\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2589855,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2589851\/revisions\/2589855"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2589852"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2589851"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2589851"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2589851"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}