by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - Fulani Islamic terrorists massacred a further 18 Christians in central Nigeria on Friday (July 19), Morning Star News (MSN) reports. With Islamic extremism taking root in Nigeria since 2009, tens of thousands of Christians have been murdered with impunity by jihadist terrorists including Fulani herdsmen, Boko Haram, and Islamic State West Africa Province.
On July 19, Fulani terrorists invaded the predominantly Christian village of Mbacher village, Benue state’s Katsina-Ala County, at about 11 pm, when most people were in bed. “A group of Fulani Muslims carrying deadly weapons attacked Mbacher village,” area resident Joseph Achiv told MSN. “Eighteen Christians were killed during the attack as the villagers were sleeping.”
In a statement, Justine Shaku, chairman of the Katsina-Ala Local Government Council, said her members received calls for help from Mbacher villagers.
“We made efforts to ensure soldiers were drafted to the area to repel the bandits, but the soldiers got there when the terrorists had left after killing 18 persons.”
Nigerian government officials have largely refused to address the relentless assault on Christians by Fulani herdsmen as rooted in religious ideology, rather choosing to frame the matter as a dispute over land or as the work of ‘bandits.’ However, Christian leaders have a different perspective.
“Christian leaders in Nigeria have said they believe herdsmen attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt are inspired by their desire to forcefully take over Christians’ lands and impose Islam as desertification has made it difficult for them to sustain their herds,” MSN said in its report.
More Christians are murdered for their faith in Nigeria than in the rest of the world combined: 4,118 people killed for their faith from Oct. 1, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2023 alone, the Open Doors international Christian advocacy organization has reported.