Persecution of Christians in Nigeria: attacks on Christians are becoming ever more frequent, still with no effective response from the Nigerian government. The situation of Christians in Nigeria remains a human rights catastrophe of immense proportions, and yet it has not registered in any significant way with the international organizations that are supposedly dedicated to protecting human rights.
The Order once again urgently implores the United Nations and the governments of all nations that are committed to human rights and religious freedom to make the plight of Nigeria’s Christians a top priority. They are walking the way of the Cross. May our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ also bless the Orthodox Christians and all Christians of Nigeria with a new flourishing of their communities.
For previous coverage of the persecution of Christians in Nigeria at ChristianPersecution.com, see here.
“Christian Slain in Kaduna State, 13 Others Killed in Plateau State, Nigeria,” Morning Star News, October 14, 2019:
JOS, Nigeria (Morning Star News) – Muslim Fulani herdsmen killed a young Christian man after stopping him on a highway in Kaduna state on Oct. 5, while in Plateau state another 13 Christians have been slain in less than a month, sources said.
Armed herdsmen stopped the vehicle of Bartholomew David, 23, and a female passenger shortly after he had dropped his sister off at the Akilbu railway station, about 70 kilometers (43 miles) from the city of Kaduna on the highway to Abuja. They took David and the woman, who had requested a ride from him to the Akilbu station, into the wilderness, Akilbu resident Enoch Barde told Morning Star News.
“As he was coming back he gave a lady a lift to Akilbu, and on their way the kidnappers stopped them, took them inside the bush and shot him to death, and the girl ran,” Barde said, citing information he learned from the young woman. “The girl said the herdsmen kidnapped them because they were Christians. She told the police the same thing.”
The woman, whose name is undisclosed for security reasons, and David are of the Adara ethnic group in Kaduna state. Barde added that kidnapping of Christians in the area has become rampant as the Fulani herdsmen are Muslims while the native groups of the Adara tribe are mostly Christians.
“In most cases, only a few women or girls who are lucky usually escape from the rampaging kidnappers,” he said. “And at times, the kidnappers will rape the women and girls before letting them go.”
David, a 2017 graduate of Federal College of Education, Minna, was a member of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Akilbu.
“He was a member of the youth fellowship of the church,” Barde said.
Plateau State Slayings
In Plateau state, Muslim Fulani herdsmen killed 13 Christians in less than a month, including three slain on Oct. 7, sources said.
The Oct. 7 attack on Vatt village in Barkin Ladi County by “suspected armed Fulani militias” killed two Christian women, Tabitha Joro Dung and Yop Gwom Pam, and a Christian man, Peter Zong, area resident Solomon Dalyop told Morning Star News by phone.
“The three were working on a farm, harvesting tomatoes, when the herdsmen attacked and killed them in the evening,” Dalyop said….
Nigeria ranked 12th on Christian support organization Open Doors’ 2019 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian.
