Abuja, NigeriaJanuary 24, 2024 (christian daily international–morning star news)
Fulani herdsmen and other terrorists attacked a village in Nigeria's Plateau state at around 12:30 a.m. today (January 24), killing at least 25 Christians, following six last week, the region said. Residents announced.
Thousands of people have been displaced by attacks in Mangu province that began on Monday (January 22), residents said.
Hosea Ibrahim told Christian Daily International Morning Star News: “My village, Kwahasrarek, a Christian community, was attacked by terrorists and herdsmen at around 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 24th. '' he said in a text message. “The intruders surrounded the village around midnight and shot everyone on sight. Twenty-five Christians were killed in the attack, most of them women and children.''
In a statement today, Senator Dickett Puran of the Nigerian Parliament said the killings were an unprovoked attack on an innocent citizen. He called on “the military and all security agencies to fulfill their sworn duty to protect Nigerians, especially the people of Mangu State LGA, in this trying moment.”
He called on authorities to investigate the attack and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“Justice must prevail and those responsible for these atrocities must be held accountable for their actions,” Pran said.
Plateau State military spokesman Alfred Arabo told Christian Daily International Morning Star News that the area is now under control and police have been called in to search for the assailants. Ta.
Residents said the attack was part of a coordinated attack that began on Monday (January 22) against the villages of Kwahaslelek, Marian and Kinat in Mangu district and the towns of Jakatai, Sabon Gari and Mangu. .
“On Tuesday, January 23rd, a friend's family and five of their family members were murdered and burned beyond recognition in Mangu,” Murphy, identified only by the resident, told Christian Daily International Morning Star News. Told. “The evil ones never stop unless they have reason to think twice before attacking. These are not indiscriminate attacks, but carefully planned to exterminate Christians.”
Authorities in Plateau State had imposed a curfew in the Mangu area on Tuesday (January 23) to curb such attacks.
Murder in Boccos
On January 17, Fulani herdsmen and other terrorists attacked the Christian-majority villages of Butura Kampani and Gada in Bokkos County, killing six Christians, residents said. The attacks occurred simultaneously around 10 a.m. and continued until around 3 p.m.
Pastor Ayuba Matawar said the attackers ambushed and shot dead five Christians in Butura Kampani.
“The attackers, including Muslim terrorists and Fulani herdsmen, carried out an attack on the Christian community for about 10 hours,” Pastor Matawaru told Christian Daily International Morning Star News. Ta. “Some of the victims were attacked while on their way to their farms to harvest crops.”
He said another Christian was ambushed and shot dead by another terrorist group and Fulani herdsmen near Gada village.
“The second incident occurred in Gada village, where a Christian farmer was shot dead by terrorists and Fulani herdsmen while working on his farm,” Matawar said.
About 19,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in such attacks since Christmas Eve, said Pastor Matawar, who works in internally displaced persons camps. He appealed for help because the need was overwhelming.
According to Open Doors' 2024 World Watch List (WWL) report, Nigeria remains the world's deadliest place for Christ followers, with 4,118 deaths between October 1, 2022 and September 30, 2023. People were killed for their faith. More abductions of Christians occurred in Nigeria than in any other country, numbering 3,300.
According to the report, Nigeria had the third highest number of attacks on Christian buildings such as churches, hospitals, schools and cemeteries, with 750 attacks.
In the 2024 WWL ranking of countries where it is most difficult to become a Christian, Nigeria was ranked 6th, just as it was last year.
The millions of mainly Muslim Fulani people in Nigeria and the Sahel region are made up of hundreds of clans of various lineages that do not hold extremist views, although some Fulani do have extremist views. Islamist ideology, the UK's All Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom, or 2020 Featured Beliefs (APPG) report.
“They have adopted strategies comparable to Boko Haram and ISWAP, and have demonstrated a clear intent to target Christians and powerful symbols of Christian identity,” the APPG report said.
Nigeria's Christian leaders say pastoralist attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria's Middle Belt are a result of forcible occupation of Christian lands and Islamic He said he believed it was inspired by their desire to impose their religion.
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Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Stockbyte
Originally published by Morningstar News. Used with permission.
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