Christian Persecution Nov/Dec 2020

Nigeria—From January to mid-May 2020, Muslim terrorists hacked to death at least 620 Christians, “470 by Fulani herdsmen and 150 by Boko Haram,” Islam expert Raymond Ibrahim reported on his website, raymondibrahim.com. A report on thenigerianvoice.com stated,

Militant Fulani Herdsmen and Boko Haram . . . have intensified their anti-Christian violence . . . with hacking to death in the past four months and half of 2020 of no fewer than 620 defenseless Christians and wanton burning or destruction of their centers of worship and learning. The atrocities against Christians have gone unchecked and risen to alarming apogee with the country’s security forces and concerned political actors looking the other way or colluding with the Jihadists. Houses burnt or destroyed during the period are in their hundreds; likewise dozens of Christian worship and learning centers.¹

The report also states, “No fewer than 32,000 defenseless Christians” were “butchered to death by the country’s main Jihadists” since 2009.²

Police and government officials are under pressure from Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, a Fulani whom former U.S. President Barack Obama helped to elect, to refrain from mentioning the Fulanis in the relentless attacks.³

Since mid-May, the persecution and murders have continued unabated. “Christians are getting killed like chickens; children getting slaughtered; women getting raped and molested,” reported area resident Thomas Usman. “Southern Kaduna is bleeding, and the government is silent; we need help!” reported morningstarnews.org.⁴

In June, Muslim Fulani herdsmen massacred 63 Christians, some of whom they burned alive, reported Raymond Ibrahim.⁵ In July, Muslim Fulani herdsmen “gruesomely murdered” a church pastor, a 5-year-old boy, and eight other Christians in north-central Nigeria, morningstarnews.org reported. They wounded 11 other Christians and burned at least three homes.⁶

Resident Tinom Jatau said in a text, “Another Fulani attack in Kafanchan; Oh God, please intervene and protect Your children with Your blood.”

Also in July, Muslim Fulani herdsmen killed 11 Christians in an attack in Kaduna, “the latest of more than 50 members of Baptist, ECWA and Catholic churches slain since June 12.”⁷ More than 50 armed herdsmen invaded Gora Gan village in the north-central state’s Zangon Kataf County, setting dozens of houses on fire, morningstarnews.org reported.

“The attack brought to more than 500 the number of Christians taking refuge at a camp for the displaced, said Ezekiel James, one of the officials manning the camp,” the website said.

In early August, the Muslim Fulani herdsmen raided a village in central Nigeria’s Kogi state, killing 14 Baptist Christians, including 13 members of an extended family. “Police said the wife, mother, all the children and other relatives of one man—13 in all—were killed in the 2 a.m. attack,” reported morningstarnews.org. They invaded the village armed with guns and riding motorcycles.

ENDNOTES

• 1. Intersociety & Anambra CLO, “Special Report: 620 Christians Hacked To Death By Nigerian Jihadists In 4 Months And 15 Days Of 2020,” May 14, 2020, the nigerianvoice.com
     (tinyurl.com/y449n6gz).
  2. Ibid.
  3. Raymond Ibrahim, “How ‘the Evil Called Barack Obama’ Enabled the Genocidal Slaughter of Nigerian Christians,” April 21, 2020, raymondibrahim.com (tinyurl.com/y7q675fr).
  4. “Pastor, 5-Year-Old Boy among 10 Christians Killed in Herdsmen Attacks in Nigeria,” July 28, 2020, morningstarnews.org (tinyurl.com/y6cujs98).
  5. Raymond Ibrahim, “‘Burned Alive’: Muslim Persecution of Christians, June 2020,”
     raymondibrahim.com (tinyurl.com/y48mumec).
  6. “Pastor, 5-Year-Old Boy among 10 Christians Killed in Herdsmen Attacks in Nigeria.”
  7. “Muslim Fulani Herdsmen Kill 11 Christians in Attack in North-Central Nigeria,” July 22, 2020, morningstarnews.org (tinyurl.com/y269jrvz).