A recent series of attacks by Islamic extremists on communities in central Nigeria has resulted in the deaths of dozens of Christians and the closure of ten churches, one of which was immediately turned into a mosque, according to the Christian Post website.
Attacks by Fulani (Fulbe) herdsmen and other terrorists in the Mangu area of Plateau State included an attack on a village that killed 24 Christians, said Pastor Kelvin Saleh, president of the Plateau State Baptist Convention. He said the extremists expelled 500 church members from 10 villages and closed down a Baptist church in each community.
"A prayer hall for Christian services in one of the affected communities was turned into a mosque by Fulani Muslim herdsmen who personally took over three communities," K. Saleh told Morning Star News.
He said the attack on Kantoma village by Fulani herdsmen killed 24 Baptist church members, including Pastor Mangmwos Tangshak Daniel, and also killed nine members of a Baptist church in Jwak-Maitumbi village.
"It is sad that we had nowhere to bury our church members who died in the attack in Kantoma and so their bodies had to be dumped in the mine quarry," he said.
Pastor M. Daniel was reportedly buried separately.
"The mass burial was carried out hastily and under heightened under the supervision of the security services. It is disheartening that Fulani herdsmen shot at Christians right during the funeral. The presence of the police officers helped because they also fired warning shots which prevented another attack by the herdsmen," he added.
"The Christians there have lost a lot; the church was destroyed and there is not a single house left in Kantoma - all the houses of Christians were destroyed. This is one of the communities where we had the largest Baptist church. The ruins of the community were taken over by herders who now use the place to graze their cattle," Pastor Saleh said.
The herders also stole windows and doors from the destroyed houses, he said.
"The situation in Kantom is terrible. Christians who survived the attacks have nowhere to return to. The few Christians who tried to go back and salvage what they could find among the ruins of their homes were escorted by security officials. And they did so hastily," the pastor continued.
Accompanied by security personnel, Pastor Saleh and other Christian leaders visited the affected areas and discovered that Fulani herdsmen had taken over three Christian communities.
This series of attacks has created a serious humanitarian problem: how to help the most essential church members who now find themselves scattered across the other parts of the state.
"We held an emergency meeting of the Plateau Baptist Convention to map out how we can support the expelled and homeless Christians. So far, some churches that were not affected by the recent attacks have received some of the affected Christians - they have already been sheltered by local parishioners," the pastor explained.
The denomination has held fundraisers in churches for these internally displaced persons.
"We had to do this because most of the believers although saved, they have absolutely nothing left. In Jos, about 75-odd families have given shelter to the displaced people from the affected communities in their homes. There are about 200 affected people here and they are being taken care of," Saleh narrated.
Baptist churches have also raised 3 million Nigerian naira (about 180,000 rubles) to buy food, clothes, blankets and mats for more than 100 displaced people in Mangu City and other areas.
Another center in the town of Barkin-Ladi is assisting 35 families of Baptist church members who were expelled from their homes, Saleh said.
"In Pankshin, the situation is deplorable as the Christians expelled from their homes here are housed in the dormitories of the Federal College of Education," the pastor said.
Among the 78 displaced there are members of other denominations such as the Church of Christ in the Nations (COCIN) and the Assemblies of God.
"There are 44 children in the displaced persons camp there. They are in need of food, clothes, medical supplies and medicines. The 3 million naira we have raised is a drop in the ocean. We appeal to concerned people around the world to help us. No government agency in Nigeria has assisted these people," he concluded.
The displaced hope to return to their home communities and rebuild their homes, for which they will need roofing sheets and other materials, but that depends on whether the government can provide them with security.
Nigeria remained the most dangerous place in the world for followers of Christ from Oct. 1, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2023, when 4,118 people were killed here for their faith, according to a report by the human rights organization Open Doors. Nigeria has also recorded more cases of kidnapping of Christians than any other country - 3,300.
Nigeria also had the third highest number of attacks on churches and other Christian facilities such as hospitals, schools and cemeteries, with 750 cases.
In the top 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian in 2024, Nigeria ranked 6th, the same as a year earlier.
The nomadic Fulani herders, Muslims by religion, who number in the millions across Nigeria, are made up of hundreds of of diverse clans. Some Fulani adhere to radical Islamist ideology.
Christian leaders in Nigeria believe that Fulani herdsmen's attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria are motivated by their desire to take over Christian lands by force and impose Islam on them, as desertification makes it difficult for them to operate.
Share:
