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Nigeria: fulanis killed a Christian woman, abducted four church members

Muslim Fulani herdsmen stormed a Christian community and shot indiscriminately into houses, killing one woman before kidnapping four others, sources told Morning Star News, a nonprofit persecution watchdog outlet.

 

Muslim Fulani herdsmen killed Ezra Haruna, a member of Godiya Baptist Church in Ungwan Barau village, in an attack on the village near Udawa in Chikun County, Kaduna state, at 4 a.m. on Oct. 7. 

Four other church members, including Jummai Ido, the church pastor’s wife, were kidnapped in the attack, said Godiya Baptist Church member, Joseph Umarau, to Morning Star News.

“Three others kidnapped also during the invasion are Luka Auta, Sale Auta [brothers] and Yakubu Audu,” Umarau said, adding that the armed herdsmen stormed the community and shot indiscriminately into houses, forcing residents to flee into bushes surrounding the village.

The attack comes just days after herdsmen kidnapped six Christian female students and two teachers from Engravers’ College, a Christian-run high school in Kakau village, also in Chikun County. The eight remain in captivity.

Last year, four churches were shut down in the village following repeated attacks on the Christian community that claimed four lives of church members and resulted in the kidnapping of 15 Christians released only after ransoms were paid.

In September, it was reported that herdsmen kidnapped and killed a pastor’s wife in Nigeria’s Kaduna state after breaking her legs so she could not escape. Also in September, suspected Muslim Fulani herdsmen shot and killed Baptist pastor Alhamdu Mangadus of Nasara Baptist Church in Asso as he worked on his farm.

Christians make up 51.3 percent of Nigeria’s population, while Muslims living primarily in the north and middle belt account for 45 percent.

Nigeria ranked 12th on Open Doors’ 2019 World Watch List of countries where Christians suffer the most persecution.

Photo: Joy!News

 

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