Written by: Karen Faulkner
Article source: www.worthynews.com
The corpses of 43 people, including women and children, have so far been recovered following the latest attacks by Fulani militants on seven predominantly Christian villages in Nigeria’s Plateau and Kaduna states, International Christian Concern reports. Just the most recent in the ongoing slaughter of Christians by radicalized Fulani herdsmen, the attacks were carried out in the early hours of the morning of August 2.
As the government largely stood by, no fewer than 3,462 Nigerian Christians were murdered by Islamic militants in the first 200 days of 2021 alone; the US Commission on International Religious Freedom has joined a growing body of concern that Christians in Nigeria are at risk of genocide. In a statement about the latest attacks, President of the Irigwe Development Association, Robert Ashi, said: “It is a form of genocide and I am yet to see the role of the Government in stopping it. We are under siege!”
According to ICC, the August 2 attacks took place on the villages of Zirshe, Isho, Chuweh, Kangbro, Dundu, Hwrra /Mai-Yanga, and Angwan Magaji and Kigam. More than 100 homes were destroyed, and a number of people were hospitalized.
Militant radicalized herdsmen from the Fulani tribe have overtaken Boko Haram as the most dangerous terror group for Christians in Nigeria. The government, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, a Fulani himself, has downplayed the atrocities by casting the onslaught as related to land rights. However, locals have long reported that the attacks are carried out by Islamic militants who want to suppress Christianity in Nigeria.
ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa, Nathan Johnson, added in a separate statement: “The loss of so many lives with no support or aid from the government means that violent attackers are likely to continue their violence. The Nigerian government must figure out a way to stop these attacks quicker and then must severely punish those who commit these atrocities.”
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Date published: 07/08/2021
Feature image: Artwork adapted from unsplash.com
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