A pregnant mother was among five Christians slaughtered by Islamic Fulani militants in a sustained attack over July 14 and 15.
Margaret Wakili, a 27-year-old member of the Baptist Church in Ancha village, Plateau state, was murdered by the terrorists at around 10am on July 15 while at her farm, according to Morning Star News.
The attackers launched an assault on the villages of Ancha, Tafigana, Kperie, Hukke and Rikwechongu, killing the three believers and burning down around 75 houses.
Two more Christians were murdered Tafigana village, Bassa County, according to a loca resident. “Both of them were ambushed and killed in Tafigana village as they were returning to their home after attending a church program at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Tafigana, at about 8:30 pm,” she said.
Another resident, Lawrence, said that attacks are being increasingly frequent, with villages being set upon every two days or so.
“We have been experiencing daily attacks by these Fulani herdsmen in our communities, most especially on Sundays during worship hours or Thursdays when church activities are held,” he explained. “The herdsmen destroyed farm produce worth millions of naira, and a lot of domestic animals were killed in the two villages.”
A fellow resident, Ayuba, also confirmed the attacks, adding that the government continues to turn a blind eye to the horrific assaults. “As a people, we are continuously under attack, and nobody seems to be hearing our cries for help, while killing of our people has now become a routine,” he said.
In April of this year, Fulani militants slaughtered some 16 Christians Sunday in the state of Nasarawa. The vicious attack, which occurred in Konshu-Numa village, took place after an infant dedication service.
During a meeting with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari last year, President Trump vowed to work on protecting Christians in the West African nation.
“We’ve had very serious problems with Christians who are murdered, killed in Nigeria,” Trump said as he sat with Buhari in the Oval Office, before adding that “we can’t allow that to happen.”
“We are deeply concerned by religious violence in Nigeria including the burning of churches and the killing and persecution of Christians. It’s a horrible story,” he said. “We encourage Nigeria to do everything in their power to immediately secure the affected communities and to protect innocent civilians of all faiths.”
Still, it appears more work needs to be done.
Muslim cleric who hid Christians during attacks honored in U.S.
The U.S government has publicly honored to brave and courageous actions of a Nigerian Muslim cleric who hid 262 Christians in his home and mosque during a Fulani attack in central Nigeria.
Imam Abubakar Abdullahi was last week awarded the 2019 International Religious Freedom Award for his heroic actions.
“The imam gave refuge to his Christian neighbors, sheltering 262 Christians in his mosque and his home…. then stood outside the doors confronting the Muslim attackers, pleading with them to spare the lives of the Christians inside, even offering to exchange his own life for theirs,” said Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback, according to CNN.
“His actions bear witness to true courage, true selflessness, and true brotherly love.”