Taraba state, Nigeria. (Profoss Uwe Dedering, Creative Commons)
ABUJA, Nigeria (Morning Star News) – Terrorists entering a town in Taraba state, Nigeria at about 2 a.m. on Sunday (Sept. 10) killed two Christians, wounded several others and kidnapped six people, sources said.
“Six Christians were kidnapped by terrorists in the Mile Six area of Jalingo,” area resident Emmanuel Moses told Morning Star News in a text message. “These terrorists, too, killed two Christians, one Balanko Alex and his wife, while many other Christians were injured during the attack.”
John Hussaini, another resident of the area, stated the same information, adding that on Friday (Sept. 8) two other Christians were kidnapped on Takum Road between Manya and Gangum.
Abdullahi Usman, spokesman for the Taraba State Police Command, confirmed the killing of the couple on Sunday (Sept. 10) and the kidnappings.
“The gunmen gained access to the house of the victims scaling over the fence,” Usman said in a press statement. “They killed the owner of the house, Balanko Alex, and his wife, and kidnapped other persons. The police command has put in place mechanisms to fast-track the arrest of the bandits and kidnappers.”
Fulani herdsmen and other terrorists on June 25 killed 20 Christians in Taraba state’s town of Takum.
Nigeria led the world in Christians killed for their faith in 2022, with 5,014, according to Open Doors’ 2023 World Watch List (WWL) report. It also led the world in Christians abducted (4,726), sexually assaulted or harassed, forcibly married or physically or mentally abused, and it had the most homes and businesses attacked for faith-based reasons. As in the previous year, Nigeria had the second most church attacks and internally displaced people.
In the 2023 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria jumped to sixth place, its highest ranking ever, from No. 7 the previous year.
“Militants from the Fulani, Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and others conduct raids on Christian communities, killing, maiming, raping and kidnapping for ransom or sexual slavery,” the WWL report noted. “This year has also seen this violence spill over into the Christian-majority south of the nation… Nigeria’s government continues to deny this is religious persecution, so violations of Christians’ rights are carried out with impunity.”
Numbering in the millions across Nigeria and the Sahel, predominantly Muslim Fulani comprise hundreds of clans of many different lineages who do not hold extremist views, but some Fulani do adhere to radical Islamist ideology, the United Kingdom’s All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom or Belief (APPG) noted in a 2020 report.
“They adopt a comparable strategy to Boko Haram and ISWAP and demonstrate a clear intent to target Christians and potent symbols of Christian identity,” the APPG report states.
Christian leaders in Nigeria have said they believe herdsmen attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt are inspired by their desire to forcefully take over Christians’ lands and impose Islam as desertification has made it difficult for them to sustain their herds.
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/?
###
© 2023 Morning Star News. Articles/photos may be reprinted with credit to Morning Star News. https://morningstarnews.org
Tweet: https://twitter.com/morningstarnewz/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MorningStarNews
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, contact [email protected]; to make tax-deductible donations, visit https://morningstarnews.org/donate/? or send check to Morning Star News, 728 A Kodiak St., Eielson AFB, AK 99702, USA.
-
- Taraba state, Nigeria. (Profoss Uwe Dedering, Creative Commons)
I am a Biblical “Christian” – And it is “we” who truly are “brethren” who “believeth” in “the words of truth” that are written in :
Acts 11:26 ~ Romans 10:8-13 ~ Ephesians 4:4-6 [AV]~[KJV]
.
So – I am personally very-very-very thankful unto “the LORD JEHOVAH” (Isaiah 26:3-4 ~AV) for every one of “my brethren” “in Christ Jesus our Lord” who live in countries all around the world
– For it is “we” who “knoweth” that the persecution of “Christians” is Biblically Prophesied to increase in ALL of the Countries ALL around the world – and that includes America – the very proud and arrogant Self-Declared > Greatest Country in the world <
.
And it is “we” who live in countries all around the world who are the Biblical followers of “our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” that also “believeth’” in “the words of truth” written some 3,000 years ago about our martyred “brethren” in ‘The Killing Fields of Nigeria’
– For “it is written” in Psalm 116:15 [AV] :
Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
.
– And I am personally also very-very-very thankful for every one of “my brethren” “in Christ Jesus our Lord” who live in countries all around the world who pray “the words of truth” that are written unto “us” in 1 Timothy, Chapter 2 [AV] :
[1] I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
[2] For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
[3] For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
[4] Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
[5] For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
[6] Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
~~~> Verse 18 of Ephesians 6:10-20 ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:23-25 ~ Hebrews 13:3
~~~> 1 John 3:13-14 [AV]
.
AGAIN – Please delete ALL ‘comments’ from September 10, 2023 – Bro. Nick