by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - Islamic terrorists slaughtered at least 160 Christians in Nigeria’s Plateau state during “well-coordinated” genocidal attacks carried out from Saturday night through Christmas Day, Morning Star News (MSN) reports.
The attacks were carried out in Plateau state’s predominantly Christian villages of NTV, Maiyanga, Ruku, Hurum, Darwat, Dares, Chirang, Ruwi, Yelwa, Ndun, Ngyong, Murfet, Makundary, Tamiso, Chiang, Tahore, Gawarba, Dares, Meyenga, Darwat and Butura Kampan in Bokkos County, MSN reports. Local officials confirmed the attacks, describing them as “well coordinated.”
While most of the slain were women, children and elderly Christians, the dead included church leaders, among them Rev. Solomon Gushe of Baptist Church in Dares village, MSN reports. “Some pastors were killed, and another pastor and his wife and five children were killed during these attacks,” Bokkos County resident Dawzino Mallau told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News in a text message.
“These terrorists who attacked these Christian communities were in the hundreds, and they carried out the attacks as the hapless Christians were preparing for Christmas programs lined up by their pastors,” Mallau said.
Tens of thousands of Christians have been murdered by terrorists since Islamic jihadism became entrenched in swathes of Nigeria in 2015: Nigeria ranks 6th on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2023 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
“Christians in Nigeria suffer persecution from an ingrained agenda of enforced Islamisation, which is particularly prevalent in the north of the country and has gradually been spreading south,” the Open Doors international Christian advocacy organization explains in a website statement.
“Attacks by Islamic militant groups have increased consistently since 2015, but the government has failed to prevent the rise in violence, which affects all Nigerians, but particularly Christians, Open Doors says.