 Among the nearly 50 people reported to have been killed in attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria at Christmas was a one-year-old child.
Militant Fulani herdsmen are understood to have killed 15 Christians in a village in Plateau state on the night of December 22. Among the dead were a one-year-old and a 13-year-old, sources said.
On Christmas Day at least 33 were killed in a separate attack on villages in Benue state.
Please pray for all those affected by these atrocities.
Clement Chup, president of the Aten Development Association (ADA), condemned the ‘gruesome killing of innocent, law-abiding Nigerians of Aten land’, in the predominantly Christian community of Dowchai, also known as Gidan Ado, in Riyom county.
‘We are saddened by this callous and avoidable murder of 15 persons in a settlement just a stone’s throw from a military checkpoint,’ Chup said in a press statement. ‘This no doubt calls to question the commitment of the security agencies in their mandate of securing lives and property of Nigerians.’
The assault, in which dozens of houses were set ablaze, took place during a 6pm-6am government curfew, he noted.
‘We are therefore baffled as to how the criminals found their way to perpetuate their evil plans without the security personnel detaining them,’ Chup said. ‘This is most disturbing, as these attacks and killings have been reoccurring within the community.’
In a separate attack in Benue state on Christmas Day Fulani herdsmen attacked a cluster of five predominantly Christian villages in Kwande county, killing 33 people and setting fire to homes, sources said.
The death toll could rise as recovery efforts continue, local resident Udeti Gira said.
‘The brutal assault by Fulani herdsmen terrorists has left the community in shock and mourning,’ Gira told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News (CDI-MSN). ‘The people of Kwande are still waiting for a decisive response from the Government to address the escalating insecurity in the area.’
Resident Abraham Kyambe said the attack had also resulted ‘in the destruction of farm products worth millions of naira, leaving the community reeling.
‘As the people of Kwande struggle to come to terms with the aftermath of the attack, the question on everyone’s mind is: What’s next? Will the Government take decisive action to protect its citizens, or will the cycle of violence continue unchecked?’
Gun attack on Pakistani believers
Three Christians were shot and wounded in a Christmas Day gun attack on the home of a pastor and televangelist in Lahore, Pakistan, it has been reported.
Following a Christmas Eve confrontation in which Pastor Shahzad Siddique tried to stop a group of Muslims from harassing guests, more than a dozen gunmen opened fire on Christians at a gathering outside his home in Lahore’s Maryam Colony the next day, he told CDI-MSN. Siddique is a Pentecostal preacher on satellite-television channel Praise TV.
Two of the three injured – Siddique’s uncle and driver – were out of danger, but the third Christian, Akash Patras, remained in a serious condition with a stomach injury, the pastor said. Police had arrested five suspects and were raiding sites to catch the others involved in the shooting, he said.
Siddique said: ‘I’ve always preached peace and tolerance, but this unprovoked attack has shown that extremist elements do not want a peaceful society.’
(Source: Christian Daily International-Morning Star News)
PRAY- For God’s comfort and strength for all those affected by the brutal attacks on the Christian communities in Nigeria
- For an end to the violence against Christians in Nigeria and that the Government and security forces would protect vulnerable citizens
- Thank God that no one was killed in the shooting in Pakistan but please pray that the three injured men would recover and that those responsible for the attack would not only be brought to justice but would repent and turn to Christ.
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