However, by mid-morning, new attacks began. Emmanuel said that armed men carrying machetes appeared in the Terminus area and began attacking Christians in the streets, causing widespread panic.

He explained that fear quickly spread across the city, leading to similar incidents in other neighborhoods. A Christian man was killed near the state university, and Emmanuel personally witnessed the killing of a man whose vehicle was burned.

Emmanuel said he drove through the city later that morning and observed a dramatic shift in atmosphere. Areas that had been busy earlier were nearly empty, with most women absent from the streets.

Groups of Muslim and Christian men stood on opposite sides of the roads, watching each other closely, while in other areas large groups gathered and violence broke out.

“People are getting hacked up with machetes,” he said, describing the sporadic but widespread nature of the clashes. He added that the total number of casualties remained unclear, though injuries were likely significant.

He emphasized that tensions in the city are among the highest he has seen in a decade. According to Emmanuel, many Christians feel anger and frustration after repeated attacks and a lack of accountability.

He said they are “sick and tired of being slaughtered” and believe that security forces are either absent or slow to respond. This anger has contributed to retaliatory actions by some Christian men and youths, further escalating the situation.