Survivors of the 2026 Easter attacks in Nigeria’s North-Central and North-West regions say government statements from Abuja don’t stop the weekly burials. These communities, particularly in Plateau, Kaduna, and Nasarawa states, faced a surge of violence that targeted religious congregations during Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday services.
Kimberly Daniels, a member of the Florida House of Representatives and Chairwoman of the United World Congress of Diplomats (UN-WCD), released a comprehensive assessment on April 14, 2026, accusing elements within Nigeria’s security architecture of enabling these attacks. Daniels claims the violence isn’t random but represents a brutal effort to target Christians during their most sacred moments of worship.
Released on behalf of UN-WCD members across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Nigeria, and Ghana, the report describes a profound disconnect between the public condemnations issued by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and the lack of protection felt by vulnerable citizens. One account cited in the document captures this frustration: “We hear statements from Abuja, but here, we bury our loved ones almost every week.”
Easter attacks targeted worshippers in three northern states
The violence across Plateau, Kaduna, and Nasarawa states left dozens dead and many more displaced. Daniels argues that the pattern of these assaults suggests a strategic targeting of religious groups rather than isolated incidents of banditry. She describes the psychological toll of this “homegrown terror” as a crisis that demands more than political rhetoric.
Local residents expressed a total collapse of confidence in the state’s ability to protect them. While Nigerian troops reportedly rescued some abducted victims during the period, the report claims the gap between official responses and the reality on the ground continues to widen.
This pattern of official condemnation failing to translate into field security mirrors previous Nigerian security cycles, where political rhetoric often diverged from the reality of rural violence.
Why Kimberly Daniels is demanding Bello Matawalle’s removal
Central to the UN-WCD’s assessment is the role of Bello Matawalle, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Defence. Daniels is calling for his immediate removal or redeployment, citing “red flags” regarding his integrity and credibility that date back to his tenure as governor of Zamfara State.
The report alleges that Matawalle has ties to bandit groups, including claims that he harbored bandit leaders and facilitated ransom payments. Daniels argues that keeping an individual subject to such serious allegations in a top security role erodes public trust and compromises the fight against terrorism.
Beyond the allegations of complicity, the assessment points to a lack of specialized security expertise in the current leadership. The report argues that this deficit in professional military background weakens the ministry’s strategic leadership and undermines efforts to combat insurgency in the North-West and North-Central belts.
Daniels insists that the Nigerian government must “look inward” and conduct a transparent investigation into high-level complicity with banditry. Only such openness, she claims, can rebuild the trust of a population that feels abandoned by its own security forces.
Diplomatic pressure could increase under CPC designation
The report doesn’t just target internal leadership; it calls for the international community to intervene. Daniels urges the United States and the United Kingdom to increase diplomatic pressure on the Tinubu administration to ensure those accused of aiding terrorism are held accountable.
This call for intervention leans on Nigeria’s designation by the U.S. as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC). The UN-WCD suggests that this status should be used as leverage to force a leadership review within the defence ministry and the implementation of more robust security measures for targeted communities.
Daniels explained that her decision to speak out stems from direct appeals from Nigerians reaching out to her. As a minister of the Gospel and a diplomat, she stated that her connection to the country wouldn’t allow her to remain silent while “innocent blood cries out from the ground.”
Why is the report calling for Bello Matawalle’s removal?
The report cites serious credibility concerns and allegations of complicity with bandit groups during Matawalle’s time as governor of Zamfara State, specifically mentioning the harboring of bandit leaders and the facilitation of ransom payments. It also argues that his lack of a relevant security background weakens professional military leadership.
Which regions and communities were specifically targeted during the Easter period?
The attacks primarily targeted Christian worshippers during Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday services in the North-Central and North-West regions, specifically across Plateau, Kaduna, and Nasarawa states.
What specific actions does the UN-WCD recommend to President Tinubu?
The UN-WCD recommends an immediate leadership review involving the removal or redeployment of Minister Bello Matawalle, a transparent investigation into high-level complicity with banditry, and the implementation of stronger security measures for vulnerable communities in the North-Central and North-West belts.
