Islamists Kill Christians In Nigerian States

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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

ABUJA (Worthy News) – Islamic militants have targeted Christian communities in several states of Nigeria in recent days, killing and injuring numerous believers, Christians told Worthy News early Friday.

In Barkin Ladi County of Plateau State, three Christians were shot dead on May 3 after “being ambushed by Islamic militants,” said Christians familiar with the situation. “The next day, three others were killed and four injured as attackers opened gunfire and proceeded to lacerate the villagers,” Christians said.

On May 6, rebel members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) group reportedly attacked Christians who had been travelling between villages in the southern part of Kaduna state. “As a result of this attack, three believers were killed and several others wounded,” said advocacy group Voice Of the Martyrs Canada (VOMC) which closely followed the events. Witnesses said the perpetrators “asked questions to identify the victims as Christians before executing them.”

In another separate attack on May 7 in the village of Otapi-Alpa of Benue State, two Christian farmers were slain, including a village leader named Tony Adejoh, Christians said.

Both victims had reportedly been working in their fields when they were suddenly ambushed and killed by suspected Islamic fighters.

“This latest occurring incident follows a similar attack that took place during the previous month within the same village,” VOMC told Worthy News. As a result of the April 13 attack, ten fatalities had taken place, and homes in the community were destroyed. Agbo Kennedy, a member of Benue State’s House of Assembly, reported that the April attack, which included victims as young as five years old, was ‘appalling and gory’,” VOMC recalled.

The latest reported attacks come amid concern about Christian refugees fleeing violence within Nigeria. “Those who manage to escape the violence frequently experience added long-term suffering when they are forced to flee their homes,” VOMC said.

VILLAGES DESTROYED

“In cases where entire villages have been destroyed, thousands of survivors seek refuge in the country’s Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.”

One of the survivors staying in an IDP camp is Jennifer, a Christian mother of four. She said she was forced to flee the Gwoza area of Nigeria’s Borno State in 2014 after killing sprees “committed by Boko Haram terrorists” left hundreds of neighbouring Nigerians dead.

After traveling almost 1,000 kilometers (621 miles), Jennifer, her husband Abraham, and their four children had hoped to settle in Abuja, the capital. However, in August 2015, Abraham was reportedly killed by a group of unidentified men in the Durumi IDP camp.

Left to raise their children alone, Jennifer still struggles to provide basic needs such as food and medicine.

However, in remarks shared with Worthy News, she said she is determined to leave the camp someday and build a home that her husband would be proud of. “I don’t know when, but soon,” she added with a glimmer of hope. “God help me….”

Jennifer’s story “is indicative of the numerous difficulties facing thousands of displaced Nigerians who are seeking to avoid the violence that’s so prevalent in various parts of the country,” VOMC said.

The group told Worthy News it has urged its supporters and other Christians to “prayerfully uphold the families of those who were slain in these more recent attacks, as well as the many others who’ve experienced physical injuries and emotional trauma.”

SPIRITUAL NEEDS

The group said there were huge “practical and spiritual needs of the thousands of displaced victims who have been forced to flee their homes, livelihoods and communities,” including many living in camps or other shelters.

“Pray for governing officials, church leaders, and humanitarian workers as they continue to seek lasting solutions to the relentless hardships facing the people of this violence-torn nation.”

Thousands of Christians have been killed in Nigeria, which is viewed as one of the world’s most violent nations for Christians.

“While Christians used to be vulnerable only in the Muslim-majority northern states, this violence continues to spread into the Middle Belt and even further south,” confirmed a well-informed advocacy group, Open Doors.

“The attacks are shockingly brutal. Many believers are killed, particularly men, while women are often kidnapped and targeted for sexual violence. More believers are killed for their faith in Nigeria than anywhere else in the world,” the group stressed.

Open Doors noted that “These militants also destroy homes, churches, and livelihoods.”

It said that over 16.2 million Christians in sub-Saharan Africa, including high numbers from Nigeria, have been driven from their homes by violence and conflict. Millions now live in displacement camps.”

Nigeria’s central government has been pressured to end the clashes, but fighting continues often fueled by Islamic militants seeking to carve out their own sphere of influence.

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