On Palm Sunday, Islamist Fulani militias attacked two Christian villages in Nigeria’s middle belt, murdering at least 54 people.

The assault on Zikke village in Bassa County left homes burned and entire families slaughtered, including women and children.

Amnesty International said the death toll now stands at 54, adding: “While those killed are being prepared for mass burial, more dead bodies are being discovered in the bush.”

They said the Government’s “inexcusable security lapses” must be investigated and the new measures claimed by President Bola Tinubu “are not working.”

“The patterns of recent deadly attacks on the rural areas of Plateau State clearly show the Nigerian authorities have left these communities at the mercy of rampaging gunmen. Nigerian authorities’ failure to tame the tide of this horrific violence is costing people’s lives and livelihoods, and without immediate action, many more lives may be lost.”

The massacre underscores the ongoing war against Christians in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.​