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EU Parl Watch

Adopted text, 8 February 2024

Recent attacks on Christmas Eve in Plateau State in Nigeria

Document TA-9-2024-0072 · P9_TA(2024)0072 · PE756.847

On Parliament’s site PDF Word

AI:In short

Parliament's resolution of 8 February 2024 condemns the Christmas Eve attacks on villages in Plateau State, Nigeria, and expresses solidarity with those affected. It calls on Nigerian authorities to act against militant Islamist groups, address root causes, and conduct an independent investigation so those responsible are held to account. It urges humanitarian actors to allocate sufficient resources, welcomes Nigeria's parliamentary debate, and encourages the government to improve security, dialogue and socio-economic recovery. It welcomes EU-Nigeria partnership, calls for deeper cooperation in security, mediation and peace-building, and welcomes the EUR 900 million Global Gateway package announced in October 2023.

Key points

  1. Parliament strongly condemns the Christmas violence targeting Christians and other communities, which caused deaths, injuries and displacements, and expresses solidarity with those affected.
  2. It calls on Nigerian authorities to take action against militant Islamist groups exploiting the farmer-herder conflict and to address its root causes.
  3. It warns the conflict may be instrumentalised to spread religion-based hatred and acknowledges climate change, resource competition and lost mediation schemes as aggravating factors.
  4. It calls on Nigerian authorities to conduct a thorough, independent investigation of the Christmas attacks and ensure those responsible are held to account.
  5. It urges all humanitarian actors to ensure sufficient resources are allocated to addressing the crisis.
  6. It welcomes the Nigerian Parliament's debate and encourages the Nigerian Government to enhance community security, foster dialogue and mediation, and reaffirm commitment to socio-economic recovery.
  7. It welcomes the strong EU-Nigeria partnership and calls for it to be deepened in security, mediation, interreligious and intercultural dialogue, and peace-building.
  8. It encourages the EU Special Representative for Human Rights to visit Nigeria and welcomes the announcement of a EUR 900 million Global Gateway package for Nigeria in October 2023.

Who is affected

  • Nigerian authorities, who are asked to act against militant groups, investigate the attacks and improve security.
  • Humanitarian actors, who are urged to allocate sufficient resources to the crisis.
  • The EU and Nigeria, whose partnership should be deepened in security, mediation and peace-building.
  • The EU Special Representative for Human Rights, who is encouraged to visit Nigeria.

Figures and deadlines

  • between 23 and 25 December 2023, gunmen attacked more than 160 villages in Plateau State
  • over 335 people were killed, including at least 200 members of Christian communities
  • 52 000 Christians and 34 000 Muslims have been killed since 2009, according to Nigerian NGOs
  • 18 000 churches and 2 200 Christian schools have been destroyed
  • over two million people have been displaced by violence by Islamic terrorist groups
  • EUR 900 million Global Gateway package for Nigeria announced in October 2023

Written by AI from the full text · every figure comes from the text · ¶ opens the paragraph · 26 Sept 2026 · Report a problem

Full text

Text 16 paragraphs

European Parliament resolution of 8 February 2024 on the recent attacks on Christmas Eve in Plateau State in Nigeria (2024/2552(RSP))

The European Parliament,

–having regard to Rules 144(5) and 132(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.whereas the security situation in Nigeria has been aggravated by an escalation of religious, ethnic and intercommunal conflicts, particularly in the country’s Middle Belt, where the conflict between farmers and nomadic herders over land and water resources has resulted in an unprecedented death toll since Christmas;

B.whereas between 23 and 25 December 2023, gunmen launched a large-scale attack on more than 160 villages in the Bokkos, Barkin Ladi and Magu authority areas of Plateau State, causing the deaths of over 335 people, including at least 200 members of Christian communities;

C.whereas many of the displaced are currently living in temporary camps with limited access to water, sanitation, food, medication and healthcare, including mental health services;

D.whereas according to Nigerian NGOs, 52 000 Christians and 34 000 Muslims have been killed since 2009, and 18 000 churches and 2 200 Christian schools have been destroyed;

E.whereas violence by Islamic terrorist groups, such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province, who target both Christians and Muslims in north-east Nigeria, has already displaced over two million people;

F.whereas the factors fuelling the clashes overlap and are rooted in, among other things, territorial disputes, ethnic tensions, access to scarce resources and environmental degradation;

1.Strongly condemns the acts of violence over Christmas targeting Christians and other communities, which resulted in an unprecedented number of deaths, injuries and displacements, and expresses its solidarity with those affected;

2.Calls on the Nigerian authorities to take action against militant Islamist groups exploiting the farmer-herder conflict, and urges them to address its root causes; warns that the conflict may be instrumentalised to spread religion-based hatred; acknowledges the role of climate change, competition for scarce resources and the disappearance of effective mediation schemes in aggravating the farmer-herder conflict, pushing the herders to move south;

3.Calls on the Nigerian authorities to conduct a thorough, independent investigation of the Christmas attacks and ensure that those responsible are held to account;

4.Urges all humanitarian actors to ensure that sufficient resources are allocated to addressing the crisis;

5.Welcomes the Nigerian Parliament’s debate on the issue and encourages the Nigerian Government to enhance the security of communities, to foster dialogue and conflict mediation and to reaffirm its commitment to socio-economic recovery;

6.Welcomes the strong partnership between the EU and Nigeria and calls for it to be deepened further in the areas of security, mediation, interreligious and intercultural dialogue, and peace-building; encourages the EU Special Representative for Human Rights to visit Nigeria; welcomes the announcement of a EUR 900 million Global Gateway package for Nigeria in October 2023;

7.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the Government and Parliament of Nigeria.