Bill Maher BLASTS Media For Not Reporting Christian Attack

On Christianity’s holiest weekend, gunmen stormed Nigerian villages shouting “Allahu Akbar,” killing dozens of Christians in attacks that strangely went missing from many newsroom headlines despite occurring for the second consecutive Palm Sunday.

Story Snapshot

Between 20 and 40 Christians were killed in Palm Sunday attacks on March 30, 2026, in Nigeria’s Plateau State, with attackers targeting worshippers and residents in predominantly Christian communities
This marked the second consecutive year of Palm Sunday massacres, following a 2025 attack that killed 54 Christians in Zikke village, part of a pattern where no major Christian holiday remains untouched by violence
Nigeria accounts for 72% of Christian killings worldwide, with over 50,000 Christians murdered between 2009 and 2023, yet mainstream outlets downplay religious targeting
The New York Times characterized genocide claims as “false,” arguing the violence is “much more complex,” while local officials, victims, and humanitarian organizations document systematic religious targeting
Over 90,000 Christians fled their homes following related church attacks, while Nigerian security forces stand accused of disarming Christian communities while allowing attackers to operate with impunity

When Palm Sunday Becomes a Target Date

Gunmen descended on Angwan Rukuba in Jos North during the evening hours of March 30, 2026. Witnesses reported hearing “Allahu Akbar” as attackers opened fire on Christian residents marking Palm Sunday. The death toll ranged between 20 and 40, with casualty assessments continuing as families searched for missing loved ones. Plateau State authorities imposed a 48-hour curfew as bodies were counted and survivors recounted their terror. The violence extended beyond Jos, with simultaneous attacks in Kaduna State killing 13 wedding attendees in Kahir village that same night.

This marked the second consecutive Palm Sunday massacre in Nigeria’s Middle Belt. Just one year earlier, on April 13, 2025, attackers stormed Zikke village near Jos, killing 54 Christians and destroying 103 households. The timing was not coincidental. A human rights lawyer in Jos captured the grim reality: no Christian holiday or event has escaped attack by radical Islamists or terrorists. Christmas services, Easter celebrations, weddings, and funerals have all become potential killing fields for Nigeria’s Christians, who comprise communities in a region caught between the predominantly Muslim north and Christian south.

The Staggering Scale of Christian Deaths

Nigeria holds the distinction of ranking seventh-worst globally for Christian persecution, but that bureaucratic-sounding statistic conceals a horrifying reality. The nation accounts for 72% of all Christian killings worldwide in 2025. Between 2009 and 2023, more than 50,000 Christians were murdered. Open Doors documented 546 Christians killed in Plateau State alone during 2025. From December 2023 to February 2024, over 1,300 people died in Plateau State, including more than 500 women and 260 children, with nearly 30,000 displaced from their homes.

Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang rejected sanitized explanations for the bloodshed. He characterized the attacks as coordinated acts of terror and genocide, distinguishing them from typical herder-farmer conflicts that media outlets often cite as context. Pastor Ishaku Mathew Kure, a Baptist minister who lost 10 congregation members, echoed the genocide characterization. He questioned why government forces disarmed Christian youth while leaving Fulani militias fully armed. The power imbalance extends beyond weapons. Christian communities lack adequate security protection while attackers operate with apparent impunity, striking during major religious observances when victims gather in predictable locations.

The Coverage Controversy

The New York Times covered the massacres but framed Republican lawmakers’ genocide claims as “false,” citing analysts who argued the situation is “much more complex” than religious persecution. The newspaper’s sources contended that Nigerians of many faiths have been killed and that much of the violence stems from criminals rather than religious or ethnic tensions. This characterization sparked fierce criticism from Christian advocacy groups and Republican officials who accused mainstream outlets of downplaying or mischaracterizing systematic religious targeting.

Representative Riley Moore of West Virginia posed a pointed question: “How many more Christians need to be slaughtered by Muslims, particularly on holy days, before the failing New York Times acknowledges that Christians in Nigeria are being massacred for their faith?” The dispute centers on interpretation rather than basic facts. Multiple sources confirm the massacres occurred, Christians were killed, and the attacks happened on Palm Sunday. International Christian Concern, Amnesty International, and Open Doors documented casualties and called for investigations into security lapses. What divides observers is whether the pattern constitutes genocide or represents complex violence with multiple contributing factors.

Local Christians maintain a clear perspective on their situation. They describe experiencing Islamic expansionism, not random criminal violence. Eyewitness accounts detail attackers shouting religious phrases while killing worshippers. The timing of attacks during Christian holidays suggests deliberate targeting rather than opportunistic crime. Yet some media coverage emphasizes complexity and multiple causes, frustrating victims and advocacy organizations who witness systematic patterns that newsrooms seem reluctant to name directly.

Displacement and Institutional Failure

Following attacks on St. James the Great Catholic Church in Adu, Taraba State, more than 90,000 Christians fled southern Taraba. The displacement represents not merely a humanitarian crisis but a demographic transformation. Local leaders warn that coordinated attacks aim at forced displacement and land seizure from Christian communities, fundamentally altering the religious composition of Nigeria’s Middle Belt. Confidence in government security forces continues eroding as Christian residents watch authorities fail to prevent attacks, delay responses, and disarm potential defenders while leaving perpetrators armed.

Amnesty International condemned the massacres and demanded investigation of inexcusable security lapses, noting that mere statements of condemnation prove insufficient without justice and accountability. Governor Mutfwang met with Nigeria’s president and chief of defense staff, demanding urgent intervention. These official meetings produce pledges of military deployment and humanitarian aid, yet the violence continues unabated. Christian communities now live in constant fear, with psychological impacts extending beyond immediate casualties to affect worship practices, community gatherings, and daily life throughout the region.