Nigeria: 17 more Christians murdered amid ongoing slaughter; “violations are carried out with impunity”

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – As rights advocates raise questions about the silence of world powers in the face of the ongoing years-long devastating slaughter of Christians in Nigeria, 17 more Christians were murdered by suspected Fulani militants in Nigeria’s Bauchi and Benue states between Friday and Sunday, Morning Star News reports.

At around 3 am on Sunday, January 22, suspected Fulani herdsmen attacked the predominantly Christian community of Gambar Sabon Layi in Bauchi state, northeastern Nigeria, MSN reports. The attackers murdered five residents and abducted a sixth, Daniel Dabwa, who is being held captive at an unknown location, MSN was told by local sources.

“This is a black Sunday for us in Gambar Sabon Layi, as five of our Christian members were killed and one kidnapped,” area resident Princess Ella told MSN in a text message.

Two days earlier, armed Fulani herdsmen attacked the predominantly Christian community of Abagena in the pre-dawn hours on Friday and killed 12 residents there. Confirming the attack, Benue state security adviser Paul Hemba added: “A man, his wife, and four children were among the Christians killed during the attack.”

In a recently published report, the Open Doors international Christian persecution watchdog and aid mission said: “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…Nigeria’s government continues to deny this is religious persecution, so violations of Christians’ rights are carried out with impunity.”

Describing Nigeria as a “killing field,” rights groups rank Nigeria number one in the world for the murder and abduction of Christians.

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