Four Christians murdered by possible cultists in Nigeria

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) - During an ongoing slaughter of Christians in Nigeria by Islamic terrorists, last week at least four Christians were shot dead by men who may be in a cult that uses people for its rituals, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.

On August 5, unidentified gunmen murdered four Christians inside their local church in the village of Azikoro in Bayelsa state. The four victims were a married couple known as Gabriel (aged 45) and Uchechukwu (aged 35), and two other worshipers named Alfred (aged 30) and Imomotimi (age unknown). The gunmen also wounded several others, ICC said.

The attackers left after burning the church and several cars and destroying nearby homes, ICC reports. Two men have been arrested and Bayelsa State Police Command has reportedly begun a manhunt for other suspects.

According to Asinim Butswat, Police Public Relations Officer of the Bayelsa State Police Command, this kind of attack was unusual for the area and may have been an act of revenge. “Operatives of “Operation Puff Adder” had earlier traced the hideouts of the cultists in the bush, dislodged them, and burnt their camp. It was believed that this could be a reprisal attack by them,” Butswat said.

ICC has published a prayer request in regard to this incident: “Please pray for the families of those who lost their lives in this attack. Also, pray that the police would be able to protect the citizens of Bayelsa state by catching these criminals.”