Christian Communities Attacked in Nigeria, Mother and Four Children Kidnapped
Fulani militants attacked several Christian villages on Saturday, December 11th, during which they wounded a pregnant woman, kidnapped a mother and her four children, and set several Christian homes on fire.
“The herdsmen tried to capture a Christian pregnant woman and her in-law, but the military rescued them,” area resident Agwam Adams told Morning Star News in a text message. “The woman sustained gunshot wounds on her leg. The attack in Sabo GRA is a serious one but thank God for the prompt intervention from the Nigerian army.”
Adams added that the Fulani militants went to a home where they knew Christian’s lived in an attempt to kidnap them. Upon arriving, the family wasn’t there, and the militants set their house on fire.
“The criminals on sensing the presence of security agents started shooting indiscriminately,” police spokesman Mohammed Jalige said in a press statement. “The operatives did not hesitate in returning fire for fire and succeeded in foiling the attempt. The criminals, frustrated by the police and other security agents, set residents’ homes on fire and fled.”
Jalige also said that a simultaneous attack on Oil village resulted in the kidnapping of a woman and her four children.
“Oil village and Sabo GRA, Christian communities, are under attacks from Muslim Fulani herdsmen right now,” Oil village resident Rita Usman told Morning star via text message.
Unguwar Dodo and Unguwar Gimbiya were also attacked on Saturday. Gimbiya Area resident, Barnabas Yohanna, told Morning Star that her village had been attacked several times in recent months.
“My church elder was killed on the night of Friday, Dec. 3, by herdsmen terrorists,” Yohanna said. “He was murdered in cold blood by terrorists who raided Ungwar Gimbiya. Fifty other Christians were kidnapped.”
Nigeria is one of the deadliest places on Earth for Christians, as 50,000 to 70,000 have been killed since 2000. The Nigerian government and much of the international community continue to say that there is no religious basis for the incessant violence taking place. The U.S. Department of State’s blindness in this area was clearly seen last month when they removed Nigeria from the list of “Countries of Particular Concern (CPC)”, which includes countries that have engaged in or tolerated “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.”
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