By Stefan J. Bos, Special Correspondent Worthy News
(Worthy News) - Christians are among those singled out for deadly attacks as violence spreads throughout Nigeria, Christian rights investigators warned Thursday.
Among those targeting Christians are Islamic Fulani herdsmen who ”terrorize” village communities, said advocacy group Voice Of the Martyrs Canada (VOMC). ”Unfortunately, Christians are frequently targeted in these attacks, ” the group noted.
It cited several deadly attacks in Nigeria’s volatile Plateau state, including last week when Islamic Fulani militants reportedly ambushed Justine Patrick and two Christian companions.
It happened when they were returning to Chaha village after working in the fields. ”The companions managed to escape, but Justine was killed with machetes, according to VOMC, investigators.”
Earlier on September 28, the village of Kpachudu was attacked by Islamic Fulani herdsmen, Christians said. ”Two young women and a six-year-old boy were killed. A week before that, a 64-year-old Christian leader was lured out of his home with a phone call. Leaving the house to get better reception, he was ambushed and hacked to death with machetes, ”, VOMC recalled.
AUTHORITIES CRITICIZED
The governor of Plateau State pledged to end the bloodshed urging citizens to cooperate with security forces by providing information.
“Despite many such pleas, the violence has continued unabated, leading some organizations to refer to the situation in Nigeria as genocide, VOMC complained.
Elsewhere in Nigeria on September 18 a church elder “was shot in the stomach and his twin daughters kidnapped from their home in Katsina state, ” VOMC told Worthy News.
”Thankfully, Ibrahim Garba survived the attack and received treatment in hospital. His teenaged daughters, Hassana and Hussaina, were released three days later, ” the group added.
It comes amid public outrage over the role some security forces play in violence in the African nation.
On October 3, a horrific video went viral on social media, which showed officers from the Nigerian police force’s notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) dragging two young men from a hotel in Lagos and executing one of them in the street.
MASSIVE PROTESTS
The video was a tipping point for many Nigerians with tens of thousands across the country taking to the streets calling for the scrapping of SARS.
Nigeria’s government, after years of inaction on the violent unit, was forced to disband it—but critics claim the worst offenders are just being moved to different roles.
On Tuesday, several Nigerians were reportedly killed when government soldiers opened fire on the anti-police brutality protesters in the capital of Lagos.
Reports of brutality by SARS are common in Nigeria. The rogue police unit has in recent years been criticized publicly by activists and politicians for extrajudicial killings, illegal arrests, and torture of citizens.
SARS has reportedly targeted young men—usually between the ages of 17 and 30 from vulnerable groups and low-income background. They were often accused by SARS officers of being internet fraudsters or armed robbers.