Thousands of Nigerian women dressed in black and carrying Bibles, wooden crosses, pictures of victims, and branches symbolising peace marched in a central Nigerian state on Thursday to protest the massacre of about 500 villagers, who were mostly women and children.

The women, some with babies strapped on their back, walked from the headquarters of the Evangelical Church of West Africa in the city of Jos to the Plateau State House of Assembly calling for greater investigation into the mass murder of hundreds of people in two predominantly Christian villages near Jos.

“We are mourning because of the children that were killed on Sunday, we are coming as a mass to cry out,” said Rebecca Adiwu, according to Agence France-Presse.

Muslim cattle herders burned and cut up hundreds of villagers using machetes this past weekend.

Local experts say that the violence was caused by more than just religious differences. The Muslim and Christian villagers are from different tribes and they compete over resources, land and jobs in the poverty-stricken area, they said.

During the protest Thursday, women waved their Bibles and crosses in the air and chanted, “We do not want soldiers! No more soldiers!”

The Christian community in Plateau state is angry that the government and troops failed to step in to stop the massacre despite it lasting several hours. Several Christian leaders have publicly questioned why no security forces were present when there was suppose to be an enforced curfew in the area.

The women protesters called for the removal of Chief of Army Staff General Danbazzau and Major General Saleh Maina, the general officer commanding third Armoured brigade in Jos, “for failure to protect innocent citizens”.

Protesters also called for the release of youths who were unfairly detained in connection with the violence.