Germany has reaffirmed its commitment to helping Nigeria tackle insecurity and promote peaceful coexistence, as residents of the Yelwata community in Benue State called for urgent government protection following a deadly attack last year.
Germany’s Federal Government Commissioner for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Thomas Rachel, disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday after a fact-finding visit to affected communities, including internally displaced persons camps.
Rachel, who described his visit to Yelwata as deeply emotional, said survivors of the June 2025 massacre, where over 200 Christians were killed, expressed fears about their safety and future.
“I am still moved by my visit to Yelwata, the village where a massacre took place in June 2025. More than 200 Christians were killed there. The people with whom I spoke, they asked for safety. They asked what the government can do. They asked for support for living, and they want to have a chance to return from IDP camps to their ancestral homes,” he said.
The Yelwata community in Guma Local Government Area, a predominantly Christian farming settlement, was invaded in the early hours of June 13, 2025, by over 100 assailants wielding AK-47 rifles, killing more than 200 villagers and displacing about 3,000 people.
Rachel noted that insecurity remains a major concern across the country, stressing that both Christians and Muslims are victims of extremist violence.
“You see that Christians and Muslims have a common enemy. These are the terrorists. So let me express my full solidarity with Nigeria,” he said.
The commissioner also raised concerns over reports of human rights violations linked to the application of blasphemy laws in some northern states, and pointed to terrorism in the North and farmer-herder conflicts in the Middle Belt as key drivers of violence.
He reiterated that Germany would continue to support Nigeria through political, economic, and peace-building initiatives, including mediation efforts, but clarified that Germany would not deploy troops, only provide advisory support.
“Nigeria is one of our key partners on this continent. Germany remains fully committed to protecting and promoting the freedom of religion and belief,” Rachel said, stressing that unity across religious and ethnic lines remains key to achieving lasting peace.
