More than 48 Christians Killed in Kaduna, Nigeria Massacres

Muslim Fulani herdsmen attack over the weekend and in late September.

Ajiya Hamza, 20, was killed in Sept. 24-26 attack in Godogodo by Muslim Fulani herdsmen. (Morning Star News)

Ajiya Hamza, 20, was killed in Sept. 24-26 attack in Godogodo by Muslim Fulani herdsmen. (Morning Star News)

GODOGODO, Nigeria (Morning Star News) – Muslim Fulani herdsmen killed more than 40 Christians in an attack in this town in northern Nigeria on Saturday (Oct. 15) and left another eight dead in an assault three weeks earlier, area leaders said.

Besides the eight slain on Sept. 24-26 in Godogodo, a predominantly Christian community in Kaduna state, the Muslim Fulani herdsmen also wounded eight Christians by gunshot and machete cuts, the leaders said.

Godogodo residents said that the second massacre began at 5 p.m. on Saturday (Oct. 15), barely two hours after Morning Star News left after investigating the September attack. The Rev. Thomas Akut of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) Good News Church in Godogodo said the assailants burned houses and shot Christians dead in the attack over the weekend.

The 41-year-old Pastor Akut and his family escaped harm, sleeping on the ground outside town until Sunday morning (Oct. 16), when they made their way to Kafanchan, he told Morning Star News by phone.

“We fled into the bushes, and some of us escaped to safer areas,” he said. “The attackers were in the hundreds and were well armed. Some of them wore army uniforms, while others wore police uniforms. Some of them exchanged gunfire with the few soldiers stationed at the post office in the town, while others burned down houses of Christians.”

Initially he saw 22 Christians had been killed, he said.

“This casualty figure is only those I saw the following morning, but the number of deaths may be higher as many were killed in the bushes too,” Pastor Akut said.

Solomon Musa, an attorney and president of the Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAPU), said at a press conference on Monday (Oct. 17) that local residents identified at least 40 people who had been killed.

“Godogodo communities once again came under very fierce, terrifying, brutal, savage and barbarous attack by Fulani herdsmen without provocation of any nature from Saturday 15th October, 2016, to Sunday afternoon,” he said. “So far, the locals have been able to identify not less than 40 corpses, aside from the several other corpses burnt beyond recognition.”

A Kaduna State Command spokesman reportedly said the official death toll remained at 20.

Nearly all houses in Godogodo have been burned, SOKAPU’s Musa said, and the Muslim Fulani herdsmen also destroyed property worth hundreds of millions of naira, besides grazing their cattle on farmers’ crops and destroying what remained.

“The savagery and barbarity of the attack is beyond belief,” Musa said. “Yet, governments at the federal and state levels appear quiet and noncommittal. We have been abandoned, deserted and neglected.”

Pastor Isaac Balason of Nasara Baptist Church, Godogodo, spoke to Morning Star News while the town was under attack.

“It is now 8:30 p.m., and the attack is ongoing,” he said by phone on Saturday night. “We’re not sure we’ll survive this time. Please be in prayers with us.”

The following morning, Pastor Balason told Morning Star News that herdsmen had burned down houses in Angwan Ninzo and Angwan Jaba, among other areas.

“Thank God we survived, but many others have lost their lives,” he said.

Wounded Son Loses Father

Christian leaders in Godogodo told Morning Star News that 16 church buildings and worship centers were affected in the two attacks on Godogodo.

The damaged buildings belonged to St. Francis Catholic Church, St. Simeon Anglican Church, Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), Deeper Life Bible Church, Grace of God Church, Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Assemblies of God Church, ECWA I & II, ECWA Good News, ECWA Kibam, Lord’s Chosen Church, Methodist Church of Nigeria, Nasara Baptist Church, Christ Apostolic Church, and Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Pastor Akut said the herdsmen have also been destroying Christians’ farms, a tactic he said is aimed at displacing Christians and starving survivors to death.

“Our farms have been destroyed,” Pastor Akut said. “Crops that are now ready for harvest have all been destroyed by the herdsmen. Members of our churches cannot even go to these farms, as anyone who attempts to do so is murdered by the herdsmen. Most of the villages around Godogodo have been destroyed and thousands of Christians displaced.”

Akut said the attack has displaced all 245 members of his church including himself. He said he saw the attacks as an Islamic war against Christians.

“This is a jihad,” he said. “It is an Islamic holy war against Christians in the southern part of Kaduna state.”

Pastor Balason, 34, said all 120 members of his of Nasara Baptist Church had been displaced.

“Three out my 120 members were killed during the first attack, and the rest, including myself, have been displaced,” he said. “I cannot say whether they all survived this latest attack, as it is difficult at this moment to know the situation they are in.”

Samuel Musa, a 60-year-old elder with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Godogodo, told Morning Star News shortly before the second attack that during Sabbath worship, the church usually had 50 members, but that the first attack on the town displaced all of them except him and three others.

“We have lost so much to the attacks by the herdsmen,” Musa said.

Ishaya Danladi Mallam, 46, an elder with the Evangelical Reformed Church of Christ (ERCC), told Morning Star News that the first attack displaced all but 24 of the church’s 220 members.

“We covet your prayers and those of other brethren,” he said. “We are facing very threatening, tough times.”

Those killed in the first attack were identified as: Ajiya Hamza, 20; Monday Hamza, 18; Musa Gwari, 45; Joseph Nok, 46; Luka Ali, 22; Ishaku Ali, 26; Ikechukwu James, 30; and Daniel Silas, 30.

Those wounded were Baba Joseph Nok, 20, whose father was killed in the attack; Menshack Waziri, 22; Gideon Peter, 29; Solomon John, 41. Others injured were Blessed Musa, 35; Inuwa Tanet, 32; Abba Samuel, 30; and, Uba Monday, 28. At this writing three of the injured were receiving treatment at Jos University Teaching Hospital, while five others were at the Throne-room Hospital, Kafanchan.

If you would like to help persecuted Christians, visit https://morningstarnews.org/resources/aid-agencies/ for a list of organizations that can orient you on how to get involved.  

If you or your organization would like to help enable Morning Star News to continue raising awareness of persecuted Christians worldwide with original-content reporting, please consider collaborating at https://morningstarnews.org/donate/?   

 

###

© 2016 Morning Star News. Articles/photos may be reprinted with credit to Morning Star News.  

Morning Star News is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that relies solely on contributions to offer original news reports of persecuted Christians. By providing reliable news on the suffering church, Morning Star News’ mission is to empower those in the free world to help and to encourage persecuted Christians that they are not forgotten or alone. For free subscription or to make tax-deductible donations, contact [email protected], or send check to Morning Star News, 34281 Doheny Park Rd., # 7022, Capistrano Beach, CA 92624, USA.

Comments

  1. Christians are weak and we have no leaders to protect fellow Christians, they will account for their deeds on the last day. They are only out to enrich themselves without defending Christian Faith.

  2. johnny Tabi says

    Everyone had a right to worship God so if you are Muslim ,worship your God and let Christians worship their God do not make competition because nothing you can earn from that killing .
    You are just like him ,he have every part of the body you have so you seems like brothers and sisters .
    God only can judge you and me brothers.Do not judge anyone.

  3. mai gaskiya ibrahim says

    see killing in the southern part of kaduna state. the gov. is not talking the federal govt. same thing that was how trouble in borno state started, but since boko haram was killing Christians and their churches all the emirs and sultan kept quiet till they started destroying moslems and their properties, then they said is anti islam. the coming of buhari is a blessing to Fulani herdsmen and disgrace to other people God is watching him when his time is up we will not be surprise

  4. Christina sithole says

    To me this shows that the Islamic God is very weak, he has no power to defend himself therefore his people have to fight t give him credibility. If he was a living God, he would be capable of judging sinners on the judgement day, but it seems his power lies on his terrorists.

  5. To me,any religion whose adherents are always neck-dipped into blood shed is nothing but cultism and such a needs deliverance from such a bondage. They need the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

  6. this is inhumane and uncalled serve your God in your own way and allow others serve their God the way they want stop the killings you bad eggs in muslims.

Speak Your Mind

*