News

Nigeria: “There was an onslaught today” as terrorists start shooting in the streets of Christian village

March 26, 2019

“Monday’s attack started at 7:30 p.m. and continued for several hours. Witnesses say the terrorists stole seven vehicles and started shooting in the streets. Government troops did intervene and, according to a press statement, effectively routed the terrorists. Father Peter John Wumbadi, head of St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Michika, says that despite military intervention, the city was in chaos. Hearing bombs and gunfire, he took six teenage students and left the city, taking refuge 50 miles away in the parish at the city of Kalaa. On their way out, they saw burning buildings and people fleeing into the bush. Wumbadi said, ‘There was an onslaught today.’”

The crisis for Christians in Nigeria is acute. For years the Nigerian government has issued assurances that it was on the verge of wiping out the terrorist groups that persecute Christians, and yet they continue to operate freely. This should be a top priority for the UN.

“Hundreds of Christians dead as violence rocks Nigeria,” The Christian Messenger, March 26, 2019:

LAST Monday, terrorist group Boko Haram attacked the town of Michika in the Nigerian state of Adamawa. While the precise death toll of that incident is unknown, “scores” of casualties have been reported, according to the Washington Examiner. This attack is only one of many recent ones in Nigeria from either Boko Haram or militant Fulani herdsmen, and Christians are often the targets.

“Kaduna state, part of Nigeria’s Middle Belt, has experienced a significant increase in attacks since 2019, but unfortunately they are far from the only state suffering such events,” says International Christian Concern (ICC). “It has been reported that at least 70 Christians have been killed during a 10-week span at the beginning of 2019 across the other Middle Belt states.

What Happened
Monday’s attack started at 7:30 p.m. and continued for several hours. Witnesses say the terrorists stole seven vehicles and started shooting in the streets. Government troops did intervene and, according to a press statement, effectively routed the terrorists. Father Peter John Wumbadi, head of St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Michika, says that despite military intervention, the city was in chaos. Hearing bombs and gunfire, he took six teenage students and left the city, taking refuge 50 miles away in the parish at the city of Kalaa. On their way out, they saw burning buildings and people fleeing into the bush. Wumbadi said, “There was an onslaught today.”

Escalating Violence in Nigeria
This is only the latest in a string of reports of violence in Nigeria. ICC says that since February 10, a minimum of 270 people have been killed in Kaduna state alone. Nine Christians died in an attack on Saturday, March 16, in Nandu village in Kaduna. Providence reports that starting on Sunday, March 10, at least 120 Christians, including many women and children, were killed by hundreds of Fulani herdsmen. These killings were believed to have been a response to unfounded claims from Kaduna’s governor that on February 11, 66 Fulani herders were murdered by their enemies. Local Christian leaders believe the governor’s claim was a ploy to postpone the February 16 presidential election.

Baptist Press reports that Muhammadu Buhari was re-elected as president on February 26, and the report notes that Buhari did not do well in Christian communities, but was able to win because of his support among Muslim populations. Many believe that the government’s response to the violence has been biased and inadequate. According to Baptist Press the ICC says, “There have been no major attempts by the Nigerian government to hold the Fulani accountable or disarm them. The re-election of President Buhari ensures that the government will remain dormant as the perpetrators continue to inflict suffering in Nigeria.”…