Nigeria, April 19 -- In the heart of Nigeria's Middle Belt, a region known for its fertility and calm, the people of Benue State should be harvesting hope. But this April, all they are harvesting is grief.

Friday, April 18, 2025, will never be forgotten. It was supposed to be just another day in the quiet communities of Mchia and Mou in Logo Local Government Area. Instead, it became a day soaked in blood, loss, and despair.

In the late afternoon, residents of Mchia were going about their routines. Some were preparing evening meals, others were returning from the fields, and children were playing under trees. Then came the sound of gunfire. Men believed to be Fulani herdsmen descended on the community with assault rifles. Without warning...