by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - Suspected Fulani Islamic terrorists earlier this month killed a pastor-farmer and kidnapped his wife amid ongoing murderous attacks on Christian rural communities in Nigeria’s Kaduna state, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Reverend Amako Maraya was killed during a terrorist raid on his community in Damakasuwa, Kaduna state, ICC reports. His wife was held for three days before a ransom was paid for her release back to her seven children.
“The Fulani militants killed Reverend Amako Maraya,” a church leader of the Evangelical Church Winning All told ICC. “He is my pastor. Last Sunday before he was killed, he preached about forgiveness.” Pleading for the Islamic-led Nigerian government to do more to protect Christians from the years-long genocidal campaign against them by Islamic jihadists, the church leader said dozens of people have been murdered in his community recently, ICC said.
Well over 50,000 Nigerian Christians have been slaughtered with impunity by Islamic jihadists in northern and central Nigeria since 2009.
With Islamic jihadist terror groups deeply now embedded in many parts of the country, Nigeria ranks 6th on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2023 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.