Victims’ stories

CSI staff were on the scene shortly after the attacks in Jos on 23-24 June 2018 and collected survivors’ stories.

Grace: "I have two children Daniel (3 years old) and Beatrice (5 months). The Fulani came to our house to attack us. They set the house ablaze while we were inside. When I ran out of the house, a Fulani man saw me and cut me on my forehead with a knife. I managed to survive but my mother was killed as she is elderly and was not able to escape. My mother was laid to rest in the mass burial."

Barnabas: "The Fulani started to attack us - they started shooting, burning our houses, burning people in their homes, killing people... I saw them with their guns, shooting at us. Me and some of my friends hid in the bush. I prayed for God to save us. I saw them following people and removing people's heads with machetes and axes. They killed about 34 people in my village. One of my best friends was killed. They burned him in his house. He was 15 years old.”

Jerry: “On Saturday 23 June 2018, we were in the room when we heard gunshots in our village. I hid my children under the mattress and my wife and I hid above the ceiling. The Fulani people broke our door and came in. My wife said, ‘our lives are over.’ Then they brought us out from above the ceiling. About five Fulani men entered our room, two with guns and three with sticks. They dragged us outside and struck us with machetes.”

In Maiduguri, Borno State, the epicenter of the Boko Haram insurgency, CSI is helping displaced families rebuild their lives:

Esther: When Boko Haram attacked her village in Adamawa State in 2014 the young mother was forced to flee with her four children. She took refuge in a neighbouring village where she gave birth to her fifth child. The family managed to relocate to an IDP camp at Maiduguri where CSI is helping Esther make a living from farming.

Rebecca and Bitrus: Rebecca was captured from her village by Boko Haram, who killed one of her sons. She managed to return home in 2016 but by this time was pregnant by a Boko Haram fighter. Despite struggling with the situation, Rebecca and her husband, Bitrus, have stayed together and now successfully run a small store with support from CSI.

To support CSI’s work in Nigeria, visit the Donate section.