Couple Killed as Suspected Fulani Herdsmen Storm Church in Niger

A husband and wife were killed in a late-night attack on a church in southwest Niger after armed Fulani herdsmen allegedly opened fire, local sources told Opinion Nigeria on Friday.

The incident occurred in Mailo village, located in Niger’s Dosso region, a Sahelian area that has faced persistent insecurity linked to armed groups operating across the country for over a decade.

According to residents, the attack happened around 11:00 p.m. on Wednesday while Christians were gathered for a church service.

“The attack happened in Mailo village at around 11:00 pm on Wednesday night. Christians were attending mass in the church when armed individuals came in and fired into the air. There was panic,” a local who requested anonymity said.

The source added that the couple attempted to escape the chaos by hiding in their home but were pursued and killed.

“A man and his wife ran and hid in their house but (the assailants) followed them and they were killed.”

Another resident said the attack caused widespread fear, forcing worshippers to flee.

“Some of the churchgoers ran to neighbouring villages, while others escaped into the bush,” the source said.

Data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), a global conflict-monitoring organisation, shows that nearly 2,000 people have died from violence in Niger so far this year.

Although relations between Christians and Muslims in Niger are generally described as peaceful, the country has witnessed repeated attacks on places of worship. Suspected jihadist groups were blamed for church attacks in the Tillaberi region between 2018 and 2021, as well as the killing of 111 Muslim worshippers in the same region earlier this year.

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