A former intelligence operative has revealed the horrifying extent of the Christian “genocide” in Nigeria that has continued to evade coverage from mainstream media.
In an interview with The Stream, the anonymous source, who has over 20 years experience in the Islamic world, said he conservatively estimates that roughly 20,000 people — mostly Christians — have been killed since Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari took office in 2015.
Nigeria has experienced a monumental surge in violence against Christians as radical Islamic groups such Boko Haram and the Fulani herdsmen continue to gain ground.
“Nigeria is now the deadliest place in the world to be a Christian,” human rights lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe explained in a recent interview with CBN News. “What we have is a genocide. They are trying to displace the Christians, they are trying to possess their land and they are trying to impose their religion on the so-called infidels and pagans who they consider Christians to be.”
This view was backed up by the experienced intelligence operative, who noted that there have been some “5,000 victims of terrorist Fulani ‘herdsmen’ death squads. And 3,000 victims of the Boko Haram terrorist group” during the recent slayings.
The expert noted that President Buhari was engaging in a “dangerous play on words” when labelling the nomadic militants “Fulani,” a term signifying a specific ethnic group in West Africa.
“In fact, they are an armed extremist group,” he said. “They have engaged in ethnic cleansing and genocide by international standards. They direct their death squads predominantly against Christians.”
Following a mass abduction of schoolgirls at the hands of Islamic terror group Boko Haram earlier this year, the Nigerian military was widely criticized for failing to act on crucial intelligence that could have led to the attack being thwarted by authorities. But is there reason to believe that the president is actually friendly with these groups?
“We should keep something critical in mind. President Buhari hails from the Fulani tribe. It disingenuously defies logic the claim that Buhari does not have the power to take the meager measures to put a stop to this,” the intelligence operative told The Stream, adding that it is possible the Nigerian government is covertly arming the group.
He also explained why there’s reason to believe the group is much more sophisticated than many think:
“The Fulani herdsmen are not simple men fighting with sticks. (I believe that is how Buhari described the situation to President Trump.) They are attacking villages in a coordinated operational manner. They are annihilating Christians with heavy machine guns,” he said.
The expert noted that the current situation in Nigeria is “terrifyingly similar” to several other well-known instances of genocide — Darfur in particular.
“That government armed and funded Arab militias known as murahaleen in southern Sudan and the Janjaweed in Darfur,” the source noted. “They stripped the local Christian people of all economic resources. In fact, they polluted water sources. They murdered, raped, enslaved, and tortured civilians. Other government-backed extremist militias and the Sudanese government itself joined in.”
There is an important linguistic distinction here. When the Sudanese genocide took place, President Omar al-Bashir insisted that the alleged perpetrators were simply “camel and cow herders.” In reality, however, Janjaweed can be translated as “evil men on horseback.” The same appears true for the Fulani. In 2010, Omar Al-Bashir was indicted by the International Criminal Court on charges of genocide. However, Sudan claimed that the ICC did not have the jurisdiction to issue an arrest warrant, and thus Al-Bashir remains in power to this day.
“The Sudanese government was able to dupe the West for way too long,” the intelligence operative continued. “I pray that we have wised up a bit. We must not be fooled. Or pretend to worship at the altar of “realist foreign policy.” Buhari’s shell game could cost countless innocent Christian lives.”
In the latest spate of attacks, Fulani herdsmen targeted general secretary of GAFCON (Global Anglican Movement Conference), Rev. Benjamin Kwashi. According to Release International, “The Anglican Archbishop was at home at the time, with some 60 orphans in his care when the raiders struck.”
The second primate and archbishop of the Anglican Church in North America, Most Rev. Foley Beach released a statement on the attack, as reported by Anglican Ink:
“It was an honor and joy to share Christian fellowship with my brother, Archbishop Ben Kwashi last week. He has long been a good shepherd to his people, and while his life was spared in this latest attack, I grieve with him at the death of his neighbor. The lack of basic security around Jos is not a new story, but it is an important one that has been underreported. Please pray for courage and protection for our brothers and sisters in Jos, and the surrounding region. Pray also that the Nigerian government will be proactive and successful in ending the violence and instability.”
A spokesperson for Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby said that the leader had “had a private, pastoral telephone discussion with Ben Kwashi” following the attack.
The violence has become so severe that Christian persecution charity Open Doors has set up a fundraiser for those in affected regions.
“Urgent Need: Militant Fulani herdsmen recently went on a four-day killing spree near the town of Jos in northern Nigeria. Our field workers report at least 200 Christians were killed between June 21-24. There is currently a dusk-to-dawn curfew in place, but the violence continues,” the organization writes. “These suffering Christians need our immediate help. In many cases, their lives depend on it.”
You can learn more about the cause and donate here.
(H/T: The Stream)