Screenshot of video released by Islamic State showing execution of Christians in northeast Nigeria. (Morning Star News)
JOS, Nigeria (Morning Star News) – Islamic extremist terrorists who kidnapped 11 Christians in northeast Nigeria on Christmas Day have executed five of them, according to a video released by the Islamic State’s AMAQ News agency.
The 49-second video, dated Dec. 29, shows five armed members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) lining up behind five men dressed in orange robes who are kneeling with their hands tied behind them. Ordered in the Hausa language to state their names, each of the kneeling men in turn is heard saying their name and adding, “I’m a Christian.”
Morning Star News heard the names spoken as Uka Joseph, Sunday, Wilson, Joshua Maidugu and Garba Yusuf.
Speaking in the Hausa language common throughout northern Nigeria, one of the ISWAP militants then says, “This is a warning to Christians in all parts of the world and those in Nigeria. We have not forgotten what you did to our brethren in Zangon Kataf town and other parts of Nigeria. Use the heads of these five of your brethren to continue with your ungodly celebrations.”
The five Christians are then shot to death.
The executioner’s citing of Zangon-Kataf appears to refer to ethnic clashes in the area in Kaduna state in 1992 over a proposal to relocate a market away from land granted to the Hausa people, who are primarily Muslim. Clashes broke out between them and the indigenous, predominantly Christian Atyap people, resulting in 60 deaths in February 1992 and 400 more in May 1992, with Hausa youths killing many Christians of various tribes in retaliation.
On Christmas Eve ISWAP terrorists began an attack on Garkida, Adamawa state, that local residents assumed was launched by Boko Haram, the Islamic extremist group from which ISWAP broke off in 2016. Government and local sources said the Nigerian army repelled the attack, but as it continued into the wee hours of Christmas Day, the assailants were said to have killed six Christians and kidnapped 11 others.
Morning Star News received messages from area residents on Wednesday (Dec. 30) asserting that six Christians were killed in Friday’s (Dec. 25) attack on Garkida, and that the Christians martyred in the video were among the 11 kidnapped.
Moses Abarshi, a Christian leader in northern Nigeria, notified Morning Star News that a Christian had told him that his brother and four other Christians had been executed for their faith.
“Please let us keep the family in our thoughts and prayers in this trying time,” Abarshi said by text message. “May the blood of these martyrs keep speaking for the gospel. May the church not be frightened and discouraged, in Jesus name!”
In the attack on Garkida town, ISWAP burned down homes, looted shops and stores, set fire to a hospital and took food from homes, area Christians said.
On July 22 a video was released showing terrorists believed to be members of ISWAP executing five men, with one militant saying it was warning to “all those being used by infidels to convert Muslims to Christianity.”
The U.S. State Department on Dec. 7 added Nigeria to its list of Countries of Particular Concern for engaging in or tolerating “systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom.” Nigeria joined Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan on the list.
In a more recent category of non-state actors, the State Department also designated ISWAP, Boko Haram, Al-Shabaab, Al-Qaeda, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Houthis, ISIS, ISIS-Greater Sahara, Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin, and the Taliban as “Entities of Particular Concern.”
On Dec. 10 the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, issued a statement calling for investigation into crimes against humanity in Nigeria.
On Jan. 30 Christian Solidarity International (CSI) issued a genocide warning for Nigeria, calling on the Permanent Member of the United Nations Security Council to take action. CSI issued the call in response to “a rising tide of violence directed against Nigerian Christians and others classified as ‘infidels’ by Islamist militants in the country’s north and middle belt regions.’”
Nigeria ranked 12th on Open Doors’ 2020 World Watch List of countries where Christians suffer the most persecution but second in the number of Christians killed for their faith, behind Pakistan.
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- Screenshot of video released by Islamic State showing execution of Christians in northeast Nigeria. (Morning Star News)
Don’t worry, these terrorist will be burned in hell crispy! But that’s not the end. Their flesh will become new & continue to suffer forever in Hell. Unless ofcourse they repent and accept Jesus they can avoid hell. Please forgive me, my flesh & human side does not want them to come to repentance so they can burn in hell for their cruelty. Deep in me I really don’t want them to come to repentance & get away with the horror and suffering they have caused & that they may continue to cause. Lord Jesus help me not to become like these monster coworkers of the devil. I hate them but I repent for that. I would consider it a worthy cause to fight these terrorists until death. Forgive me for wishing HELL for these despicable poor excuses of ?human? beings. I wish you hurry up and avenge their blood. I can’t take this any longer. Where are you God! & How long will you allow evil to cause extreme suffering!? Maranatha! Yet I worship you in all through all, these are heros o faith, that are described in revelation & will rain on these earth with Jesus for a 1000 years wearing crowns. They have been given white garment of righteousness! They blessed and happy, worthy to be slained for their Lord Jesus. Yes! Heros of faith like Peter who said during his martyrdom, that he should be hang upside down on the cross, because he was not worthy to be crucified like his Lord Jesus. These saints just like Peter are the TRUE heros of faith. To the contrary these, faceless cowards just like the devil who won’t show is face are cowards period! ll glory to Jesus Christ, hear it good terrorists! All glory to Jesus Christ!