Eight months after more than 300 Christians were massacred on Christmas Eve and three months after another string of attacks over the Easter period, the Nigerian government has failed to keep people safe, according to a priest caring for displaced people.

Father Andrew Dewan, director of communications in Pankshin Diocese, said survivors of violence by extremists in Nigeria’s Middle Belt “have no trust” in their leaders as they face continued attacks and an increasing food shortage,

He told Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that “elected officials are just not interested in the welfare of the people”, offering no protection or other practical support to Christian communities whose homes and livelihoods have been destroyed.

The priest added that he regularly receives reports of fresh killings and other atrocities. He highlighted that last Saturday (13 July) terrorists kidnapped a Christian woman and her daughter, and on Sunday (14 July) armed Fulani herdsmen stormed a Christian community in Bokkos once again and “killed the village head”.

Fr Dewan said there is a clear religious dimension to the attacks, even though conflict over land is also a factor, with Muslim-majority herdsmen targeting overwhelmingly Christian farming communities.