Tags
Nigeria
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Hundreds Slain in Campaign of Violence
Attempts to stay current with the reporting of attacks and destruction in Nigeria can seem devastatingly futile. The description expressed by VOMC's CEO Floyd Brobbel, as it being "an epic battle," is apropos. One witness defines the situation as an "atmosphere of anarchy and despair." A report from the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law states that at least 620 Christians have been killed in the first five months of 2020 alone.
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At Least 37 Dead in Kaduna State
This baby girl suffered a bullet
wound during one of the attacks.
Photo: Church in ChainsTwo recent attacks in Kaduna State show the extent of violence facing Nigerian Christians due to the terrorism of Fulani militia groups....
On the evening of May 11th, Fulani gunmen laid siege to the village of Gonan Rogo in the Kajuru area. Entire households were wiped out as the militants went from house to house, killing those they found. In one home, Jonathan Yakubu was slaughtered, along with his wife and three young children. In another home, a mother and child were killed, but a three-month-old baby girl miraculous survived a bullet wound to her head. The baby is now in the care of her aunt. In all, 17 people were killed that night and six injured. Ages of the victims ranged from young children to the elderly.
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Justice Declared for Kidnapped Girl
Photo: Facebook On August 12th, 2015, a 13-year-old girl named Ese Rita Oruru was kidnapped from her home in Bayelsa State of southern Nigeria. After being taken to the northern state of Kano, she was raped, forcibly converted to Islam, and married to her kidnapper.
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Violence Continues Unabated
Photo: Release International The ongoing violence in Nigeria by Fulani herdsmen has continued unabated. Christian villagers and churches are frequently targeted by militants holding to strict Islamic ideology. In recent weeks, several incidents have come to light, indicating the need for continued prayer, as well as a call for action by Nigerian authorities. In this report, a few of the more recent incidences will be highlighted.
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Dozens Slain in Ongoing Violence
Pray that the Lord will draw Fulani herdsmen to the knowledge of His forgiveness and grace. Human rights organizations monitoring the ongoing violence taking place against Christians in Nigeria are now raising concerns of an imminent genocide. More than 50 believers have been killed in the month of March and over a dozen more during the first week of April. Since the beginning of 2020, at least 410 Christians have been murdered. Most of the violence was perpetrated by jihadist Fulani militants. For more details on the suffering facing Nigeria's Christians, go to our country report.
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Kidnapped Girl Successfully Escapes
Sadiya Amos Chindo (on right)
with her grateful mother.
Photo: World Watch MonitorOn the night of January 5th, Sadiya Amos had just finished a New Year's celebration when she was abducted. Two days later, her father was forced to attend a Sharia court where he was accused of preventing Sadiya from converting to Islam. A fake birth certificate was presented as evidence that she was 19 years old, rather than her true age of 17. Throughout the proceedings, the court refused to allow the teen's parents any access to her, nor let them know where she was located.
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Destructive Rampage of Militant Mob Attack
Photo: CBN News More than a hundred Boko Haram militants stormed into the town of Garkida on February 21st, causing terrible chaos, loss and destruction. According to reports, they killed two soldiers at a military checkpoint before entering the town where they spent hours ransacking, looting and killing. By the time order was restored, at least three church buildings were destroyed, along with a police station, hospital, and an unspecified number of houses. During the compilation of this report, the total number of people killed or kidnapped had not yet been determined by local officials.
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Kidnapped Pastor Executed
Pastor Lawan Andimi A leader of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and pastor of a Brethren church, Lawan Andimi, was executed by Boko Haram terrorists on January 20th. Pastor Lawan was kidnapped during a raid in the town of Michika on January 3rd (read more). Shortly after, a video was released in which the pastor speaks of his faith in God's sovereignty despite the situation. He told his family: "God is still alive.... Don't cry, don't worry, thank God for everything." News of his death also came via video, sent to the same journalist, showing the beheadings of Pastor Lawan and an unnamed soldier.
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Church Leader Kidnapped in Raid
Pastor Lawan Andimi A leader of the Christian Association of Nigeria was kidnapped on January 3rd when Boko Haram raided the town of Michika which is located near the border with Cameroon. Fighters came into town with a convoy of vehicles. Nigerian soldiers readily responded and, in the confusion, town people fled into the bush. While the military drove out the attackers, killing most of them, Pastor Lawan Andimi was taken hostage as the remaining terrorists fled.
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Eleven Christians Reportedly Killed
Image taken from an earlier
video of Boko Haram captives.In a video released on December 26th, ISIS shows the murder of eleven Christians, claiming that it was committed in retaliation for the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the ISIS leader who died during a raid in Syria by U.S. special forces in October.