Genocide is indeed taking place in Nigeria
One of the hotspots of Christian persecution today is undoubtedly Nigeria. According to religious freedom watchdog Open Doors USA, Nigeria ranks twelfth worldwide for the persecution of Christians. Islamic terrorist organisation Boko Haram is the known villain in Nigeria, and justifiably so. They are among the most brutal Islamist radical terror groups in the world. Just last week, attacks in north-eastern Nigeria by a Boko Haram splinter-group left dozens of soldiers and civilians dead.
Back in January, the group beheaded Nigerian pastor Lawan Andimi. Kidnapped from his village and forced to negotiate for his release with the government, Andimi wouldn’t break. Instead, he turned his hostage video into a stunning testimony to Christ.
Still, as bad as Boko Haram is, much of the recent bloodshed in Nigeria has been perpetrated by militant Hausa-Fulani herdsmen. This largely Muslim ethnic group specialises in night raids on Christian villages in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
In a recent statement, Nigerian Christian leaders claimed that “over six thousand people—mostly children, women and the aged—[have been] maimed and killed in night raids by armed Fulani herdsmen.” They also described the “continuous abduction of under-aged Christian girls by Muslim youths” for forced marriages.
The term fits the International Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide, and the word should not be tossed around carelessly. Genocide is action intended to destroy in whole or in part “a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group.”
Recently, Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari, denied the evidence and affirmed that “false allegations of persecution of Christians” are “a most misleading campaign.” It can be interesting to note that President Buhari himself is the son of a Fulani chief.
Source and image: christianheadlines.com
