Overview
- Cleese posted that “Black Lives Don’t Matter,” accusing media and activists of ignoring Nigeria’s Easter bloodshed in a pair of widely shared messages on social media.
- Coordinated strikes over Easter weekend hit communities in Benue, Kaduna and Nasarawa, with reports of killings, abductions and homes burned.
- In Benue’s Mbalom community, local reports said at least 17 people were killed as residents prepared for the Easter Vigil, and gunmen opened fire on worshippers in Ariko village in Kaduna.
- Toll estimates vary, with International Christian Concern reporting at least 54 people killed and the army claiming 31 kidnapping victims were rescued, a claim local Christian leaders disputed.
- U.S. Rep. Chris Smith urged Nigeria’s government to boost protection for Christian communities, as the U.N.’s humanitarian chief in Nigeria cautioned that the wider insurgency is complex and not solely religious.