At least 140 people have been killed and 300 injured in what has been described as a massacre against Christians in the African country of Nigeria over the Christmas weekend, Amnesty International confirmed.
The killings occurred in about 20 villages and communities in the Plateau state of north-central Nigeria between December 23-25.
According to some local reports, the death toll may be as high as 200. Plateau Governor Caleb Mutfwang called the attacks "Senseless and unprovoked."
“I am yet to take stock of [the deaths in] Barkin Ladi,” Mutfwan said, “It has been a very terrifying Christmas for us here in Plateau."
The attacks appear to be part of a longstanding conflict between Fulani Muslim herdsmen and Christian farming communities. The herdsmen accuse the farmers of taking over their grazing land and began raiding farming villages in 2014. Thousands of people have been killed in the conflict over the last decade.
Residents have reported that security forces took at least 12 hours to respond to calls for help.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu instructed the country's security agencies to "scour every stretch of the zone and apprehend the culprits."
The French government on Tuesday condemned the attacks against the Christian farmers "in the strongest possible terms."
“France calls for the perpetrators of these attacks to be identified and brought to justice, and assures the Nigerian authorities of its full solidarity."
Some called out the silence of the international community in the face of a large-scale massacre of Christians over the Christmas holiday.
“There was yet another Christmas massacre of Christians in Nigeria yesterday. The world is — silent. Just unbelievable," wrote leading evangelist the Rev. Johnnie Moore on X(formerly Twitter).