NIGERIA: Muslim Imam Hid Christians from Attackers

Source: Barnabas Fund, July 3, 2018

A village in Plateau State was attacked by around 300 armed men, reportedly Fulani cattle herders, on Sunday, June 24. The gang opened fire killing scores of Christians and set fire to people’s homes and the local church.

Some Christian families escaped from the gunmen to a mainly Muslim village nearby. A local imam took in around 262 people, hiding women and children in his home, and taking the men to the mosque.

The armed attackers stormed into the village in pursuit of the Christians, confronting the imam and threatening to burn down his house and mosque. The imam refused to allow the gunmen in, insisting everyone inside was Muslim. Other villagers joined him in pleading with the Fulani until they left the area.

The imam told the BBC he had wanted to help because, 40 years ago, Christians in the area had allowed Muslims to build the mosque. He said it was the first time he had experienced such “an ugly incident” in all the years of Muslims living in a neighboring village to the Christian farmers.

Around 200 people died in attacks on 11 villages over the weekend of June 23-24. Semi-nomadic Fulani cattle herders, who raid Christian villages and set fire to properties before taking over their land, have been blamed for the bloodshed.

» Read full story. Also watch a brief video of Rev. Gideon Para-Mallam commenting on this recent attack (World Watch Monitor) and read Over 200 Dead in Plateau State after Fulani Militant Attacks (Jubilee Campaign).

» Religious broadcasters in Mozambique are also seeking prayer in the midst of violence in their region, too (FEBC).

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Missions Catalyst welcomes comments, especially those that provide additional insights on a topic or story as a help to other readers. We reserve the right to screen comments and may provide light editing. Note that comments including links may be delayed so we can make sure they are not spam; we hope you will include relevant links, anyway!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.