Tags

Attack

• Reports of "Unfolding Genocide"

  

  For several years, suffering has been a way of life for Christians in Nigeria. In 2010, the International Criminal Court (ICC) opened a preliminary examination into this troubling situation which was formerly caused by the violence of Boko Haram militants. Thousands of lives have been lost throughout the years that followed, along with the destruction of numerous homes and churches, and the abduction of hundreds of innocent victims -- including teen Leah Sharibu who was taken captive in February 2018 and is still missing to date.

• Christians Attacked After Incitement from Mosque Leaders

  

  Several South Sudanese Christians were attacked in Khartoum after mosque leaders called on their followers to rid their "Muslim area" of Christians. After evening prayers on June 6th, when imams raised the call, the mob attacks ensued. In one incident at a local market the following day, a group of Christians were targeted with batons and rifles. Many were severely injured, including 18-year-old Ariere Sathor. In addition, 16 temporary plastic shelters, where the South Sudanese refugees had been staying, were burned down.

• Shot for Buying a House in a Muslim Area

  

  Two members of a Christian family were shot and wounded after buying a house in a Muslim neighbourhood. Nadeem Joseph purchased a house in Peshawar's TV Colony and moved in with his family in late May. However, when a neighbour named Salman Khan found out they were Christians, he told them they must leave immediately, claiming Christians are enemies of Islam.

• Church Raided Again

  

  On May 3rd, security officers burst into a home where members of the Xingguang Church in Xiamen were meeting. Worshippers were dragged from the building (see the full report of this initial raid). In a second series of attacks, several homes where church members gathered for meetings were raided on June 11th. More than 100 officials from various governmental departments were involved in these attacks.

• Hundreds Slain in Campaign of Violence

  

  Attempts to stay current with the reporting of attacks and destruction in Nigeria can seem devastatingly futile. The description expressed by VOMC's CEO Floyd Brobbel, as it being "an epic battle," is apropos. One witness defines the situation as an "atmosphere of anarchy and despair." A report from the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law states that at least 620 Christians have been killed in the first five months of 2020 alone.

• At Least 37 Dead in Kaduna State

  

  Two recent attacks in Kaduna State show the extent of violence facing Nigerian Christians due to the terrorism of Fulani militia groups....

  On the evening of May 11th, Fulani gunmen laid siege to the village of Gonan Rogo in the Kajuru area. Entire households were wiped out as the militants went from house to house, killing those they found. In one home, Jonathan Yakubu was slaughtered, along with his wife and three young children. In another home, a mother and child were killed, but a three-month-old baby girl miraculous survived a bullet wound to her head. The baby is now in the care of her aunt. In all, 17 people were killed that night and six injured. Ages of the victims ranged from young children to the elderly.

• Christian Families Terrorized for Weeks

  

  Mobs armed with clubs terrorized 16 families from a church in Jharkhand state every night for almost three weeks. Going to each home in the village, the militants threatened to kill the Christian family members unless they returned to the animistic Sarna religion. The oppressors would set out at night when the other families were not available to provide help and support.

• Christian Woman Seriously Beaten

  

  A young Christian woman from the village of Luwooko in eastern Uganda was ambushed and beaten on April 7th for sharing her faith. Lydia Nabirye, 23, is the daughter of an area evangelist. In early March, she shared her faith with a young Muslim woman who later came to salvation in Christ. After the new convert was threatened by family members, Lydia's family gave her refuge, along with six other converts from Islam.

• Christians Arrested for Preparing Relief Aid

  

  A pastor and seven others were assembling relief packages for the poor in their area when they were assaulted and arrested by police officers. The police falsely claimed the group had gathered for worship in numbers forbidden under COVID-19 restrictions.

• Daughter of Slain Pastor Wounded

  

  On October 13th, 2015, Pastor Chamu Hassa Purty was shot and killed while at his home in Sandih village, Jharkhand. The murder happened after he had prayed for a sick boy in a nearby village and then helped him get to hospital.

  Five years later, on the evening of April 16th, two men came to the door of the Purty home, asking if it was the home of the pastor who was killed. Threatening the family members who were there, the men shouted: "That pastor was killed, but you did not learn a lesson. You have continued assembling in large numbers for Christian prayers. Where is the woman working as a spy?" Chamu's widow insisted they were not spies and demanded that the men leave the premises.