NIGERIA: Terrorists Kill More Than 20 Christians in Taraba State, Nigeria

Jaag Masihi News Global 18-08-2022 

ABUJA, Nigeria, August 17, 2022 (Morning Star News) – After more than 20 Christians lost their lives to terrorist attacks in two areas of Taraba state, Nigeria in the first half of August, a Catholic teacher on Sunday (Aug. 14) was kidnapped from a church site, sources said.

Suspected members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) shot their way onto the site of St. Agnes Catholic Church in Dinya village, in Taraba state’s Gassol County, at about 10 p.m. and abducted the catechist, Gideon Tsehemba, said the Rev. Lawrence Awua, the parish priest. 

“The ISWAP terrorists broke into the premises of our church on Sunday, Aug. 14, as we were already in our bedrooms,” Awua told Morning Star News in a text message. “They were shooting indiscriminately in the premises of the church. Our Catechist, Mr. Gideon Tsehemba, was forcefully dragged out of the church with a gun pointed at him. I was already in my bedroom, but they thought there was no one around except the catechist.”

The kidnappers have not made contact with anyone from the church, he said.+ “We hope and pray they do not harm the catechist,” Awua said.

More than 20 Christians were killed in Gassol and Bali counties by Fulani herdsmen and other terrorists during the first two weeks of the month, said Bali area resident Ayuba Matthew.

“Constant killings and maiming of innocent Christians by terrorists and herdsmen bandits have become very common here in Taraba state,” Matthew said. “So also, kidnappings of Christians has become a problem.”

The killings and kidnappings in the two counties displaced more than 10,000 people from the predominantly Christian villages of Karal, Ndiyanwo, Wurojam, Aenama, Garin Karfe, Wuro Jingi, Jauro Manu, Garin Gidado, Gurowa, Karekuka and Chul, he said.

Area resident Julius Ishaya told Morning Star News that terrorists attacked those communities and also the Gassol County villages of Wuro Bokki, Dadin Kowa, Yola-Kareje, Baba Aso, Zip and Namnai. In Bali County, terrorists also attacked Christians in Baba Juli, Garwa, Malam Baba and Bokki, he said.

On Sunday afternoon (Aug. 14) in Borno-Kurku village in Bali county, terrorists shot and wounded a Christian, Tavershima Faga, said area resident Dorcas Titus.

“Mr. Faga was returning to his home from his church after worship service at about 2 p.m. when the terrorists shot him,” Titus said. “He’s currently receiving treatment in a local hospital here.”

On Friday (Aug. 12), gunmen reportedly attacked predominantly Christian Karekuka village, Gassol County, killing 13 people, including six defenders who shot and killed six of the assailants, according to local news reports.

Terrorism by ISWAP stretched into Taraba state for the first time on April 19, killing six Christians, sources said. After an explosion killed the six Christians and wounded more than a dozen others at Christian-owned market where alcohol was served in Isware, Ardo Kola County, ISWAP released a statement on a telegram messaging channel asserting that it had detonated the explosive at “a gathering of infidel Christians,” according to local news reports.

ISWAP, an offshoot of Boko Haram, described its operatives as “soldiers of the caliphate in central Nigeria.”

While ISWAP has long carried out assaults in northeastern Nigeria, the Islamic extremists had not been active in Taraba until the attack, which was followed by another on April 22.

An Abubakar Shekau-led faction of Boko Haram in 2016 formally aligned with the Islamic State and changed its name to Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), though many Nigerians still refer to the Shekau-led faction of ISWAP by its original name, Boko Haram. The Islamic State recognizes the ISWAP faction that broke away from Shekau as its cell in the region, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). 

Nigeria led the world in Christians killed for their faith last year (Oct. 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2021) at 4,650, up from 3,530 the previous year, according to Open Doors’ 2022 World Watch List report. The number of kidnapped Christians was also highest in Nigeria, at more than 2,500, up from 990 the previous year, according to the WWL report.

Nigeria trailed only China in the number of churches attacked, with 470 cases, according to the report.+ In the 2022 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria jumped to seventh place, its highest ranking ever, from No. 9 the previous year.


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World Watch List 2022

The World Watch List is Open Doors’ annual ranking of the 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution. Explore the country profiles to find information, stories and prayers for each of the countries, along with ways that you can stand with your persecuted church family in prayer and action. More about the World Watch List.

2022 Rankings

  1. Afghanistan

  2. North Korea

  3. Somalia

  4. Libya

  5. Yemen

  6. Eritrea

  7. Nigeria

  8. Pakistan

  9. Iran

  10. India

  11. Saudi Arabia

  12. Myanmar

  13. Sudan

  14. Iraq

  15. Syria

  16. Maldives

  17. China

  18. Qatar

  19. Vietnam

  20. Egypt

  21. Uzbekistan

  22. Algeria

  23. Mauritania

  24. Mali

  25. Turkmenistan

  26. Laos

  27. Morocco

  28. Indonesia

  29. Bangladesh

  30. Colombia

  31. Central African Republic

  32. Burkina Faso

  33. Niger

  34. Bhutan

  35. Tunisia

  36. Oman

  37. Cuba

  38. Ethiopia

  39. Jordan

  40. Democratic Republic of Congo

  41. Mozambique

  42. Turkey

  43. Mexico

  44. Cameroon

  45. Tajikistan

  46. Brunei

  47. Kazakhstan

  48. Nepal

  49. Kuwait

  50. Malaysia 


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