Jihadists Eye Christmas Slaughter

Handgun on blue fabric with visible bullet cartridge.

An American intelligence expert claims Nigerian jihadist forces are mobilizing for coordinated Christmas massacres targeting Christian communities in the same regions where nearly 300 civilians were slaughtered during last year’s “Black Christmas” attacks.

Story Overview

Judd Saul warns of planned Christmas Day attacks in Nigeria’s Middle Belt based on intelligence showing 89% accuracy in prior predictions
Fulani militant networks allegedly gathering forces along state borders to target Riyom, Bokkos, Kafanchan, and Agatu communities
Nigeria’s Department of State Services confirms receiving intelligence and claims to be “working on it” while churches advise closing before dark
Warning follows 2023 “Black Christmas” massacre where 295 Christians died in 38 villages and June 2025 Yelwata attack killing 278 villagers

Intelligence Networks Sound Christmas Alarm

Judd Saul, founder of Equipping the Persecuted and TruthNigeria, delivered stark warnings at Washington D.C. emergency summits that Fulani jihadist mercenaries are “weaponizing and gathering forces” along Nigeria’s volatile state borders. His organizations claim an 89% accuracy rate in predicting terror attacks, including advance warnings before the devastating June 2025 Yelwata massacre that claimed 278 lives in a single night. Saul’s intelligence sources point to coordinated assault preparations targeting Christian-majority areas in Plateau, Kaduna, and Benue states.

The Department of State Services has acknowledged receiving credible intelligence about Christmas Day massacre plans. DSS sources told Nigerian media they are “already working on it” and have intensified nationwide intelligence gathering. However, skepticism runs deep among advocacy groups who point to repeated government failures to act on prior warnings, including alerts delivered 30 days and 24 hours before the Yelwata slaughter.

Pattern of Holiday Season Bloodshed

Nigeria’s Middle Belt Christians face a terrifying annual cycle of violence during religious holidays when church gatherings create concentrated targets. The December 2023 “Black Christmas” attacks devastated Plateau State communities, with approximately 3,000 jihadist fighters speaking Fulfulde systematically raiding 38 villages over four days. TruthNigeria documented 295 civilian deaths in what survivors describe as coordinated ethnic cleansing operations designed to permanently displace Christian populations from ancestral lands.

International Committee on Nigeria leader Stephen Enada estimates over 100,000 Christians have been killed across the past decade through Boko Haram, Fulani militia, and bandit attacks. The Christmas season consistently emerges as a period of elevated risk, with churches receiving security advisories to curtail evening services and improve surveillance protocols. Local evangelists report communities living in constant fear, with some areas becoming virtual graveyards.

Government Infiltration Claims Spark Intervention Calls

Yelwata massacre survivor Franc Utu alleges jihadists have infiltrated Nigeria’s government structures, military, and political apparatus at every level. His testimony describes Benue State as “the graveyard of Nigeria” where monthly attacks have decimated rural Christian populations while federal security forces remain conspicuously absent or deliberately ineffective. Utu demands direct military intervention to “exterminate these terrorists,” arguing current leadership cannot be trusted to protect Christian communities.

Saul echoes these infiltration concerns, claiming local federal security apparatus is “fully infiltrated” by Fulani ethnic militia sympathizers. He urges American officials to bypass Nigerian federal authorities and coordinate directly with village defense teams, arguing traditional diplomatic channels have proven worthless in preventing systematic slaughter. The failure to act on Yelwata intelligence despite multiple advance warnings reinforces advocate fears that government negligence borders on complicity.