by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - Fulani jihadi herdsmen are continuing their slaughter of Christians in Nigeria, murdering six Christians in Benue state on September 1, Morning Star News (MSN) reports. By the end of last year, Islamic extremists in Nigeria had murdered 43,000 Christians since 2009 according to International Christian Concern; that number has increased relentlessly in 2022.
The herdsmen carried out the murders during an attack on the predominantly Christian village of Umella, in Benue state’s Guma County, at about 3 p.m, MSN reports. Confirming the number of dead, Mike Ubah, chairman of Guma Local Government Council, told MSN: “Some of the victims were shot, while others were attacked with machetes.”
“Persecution in Nigeria is brutally violent,” Open Doors explains in a website statement. “In much of northern Nigeria, Christians live their lives under the constant threat of attack from Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Fulani militants and criminals who kidnap and murder with impunity.”
“While all citizens of northern Nigeria are subject to threats and violence, Christians are often specifically targeted because of their faith. ISWAP and Boko Haram want to eliminate the Christian presence in Nigeria, and Muslim Fulani militants attack Christian villages specifically,” Open Doors said.
Nigeria ranks seven on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2022 of top 50 countries that are most dangerous for Christians. Last (October 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2021) 4,650 Christians were murdered by Islamic militants, Open Doors has reported.