John Mwanti, receiving treatment in Vom Christian hospital for a gunshot wound to his right arm.

A Release investigation has heard claims that the attack in March was planned and soldiers were ordered not to intervene. Some observers believe the aim is to drive out Christians to pave the way for Islamic law.

In the early hours of the morning on March 7, militants attacked three villages near Jos, the capital of Nigeria's predominantly Christian Plateau State.

More than 500 people were methodically slaughtered, many of them women and children.

'When they came, they ringed the whole village and started shooting guns,' Pastor Bitrus Daniel, whose church and home were destroyed, told Release.

'Some were holding knives, some were holding guns, and some were holding fire. They were just burning houses, killing people. They ringed the whole place, and everybody was running.'

The village of Dogo Nahawa lost just over a quarter of its 1,200 population on March 7. In all, 520 were killed at Dogo and in the neighbouring villages, Zot and Rastat. All are buried in an unmarked mass grave in the fields. A 400-strong mob of Hausa and Fulani tribesmen have been blamed for the attack.

Naomi Dung and her husband Dung Gwom were woken by the sound of gunshots. 'My husband went out to see what was happening. He ran to the church, and was killed.

Burned-out cars litter the streets of Dogo Nahawa.

'The attackers were killing some children outside our house. My neighbour's children, four of them, ran into our house. I heard the Fulanis say: 'Burn this house!', 'Burn that house!', and 'leave this one!' So they left our house alone. We have never before seen so many dead bodies.'

Naomi now has to care for her five children on her own. She is scared for the future, fearing the attackers may return. 'On March 7 they did not kill many men, and the rumour is that they are coming back for the men.'

The Archbishop of Jos, Benjamin Kwashi, claims there is evidence the massacre was carefully planned. 'These attacks are systematic, they are organised,' he told Release.

'[The attackers] knew where to cut to inflict maximum pain and painful death, for men, for women, for children. That takes training.'

The 400-strong mob also knew how to avoid the military curfew. Only those with special passes are allowed to travel after 9pm. 'How did they know the routes?' asked Archbishop Kwashi, 'How did they beat the military curfew?'

Release also spoke to witnesses who claimed soldiers had been ordered not to intervene to prevent the massacre.

Pastor Bitrus Daniel of COCIN (Church of Christ in Nigeria) said he talked to one soldier who had heard gunshots and screams. The soldier reported the disturbance to his superior who in turn contacted the commanding officer in charge of peacekeeping.