by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - Nigeria is a “killing field” of Christians, and is headed toward Christian genocide, Commissioner Gary L. Bauer says in the Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) 2021 annual report, ICC reported. Islamic militants are primarily responsible for killing 1,470 Christians in Nigeria in the first four months of this year alone.
In addition to being subject to regular deadly attacks by the Boko Haram and ISIS West Africa terror groups, Christians are continuing to be attacked by Muslim Fulani Militants: 12 Christians, including parents of small children, were slaughtered last week, International Christian Concern and Morning Star News reported separately.
On May 20, Muslim Fulani herdsmen broke into a Christian home in Plateau state while the family was asleep - and murdered young mother Ladi Jeffrey and her nephew Shadrach Zwewhie, Morning Star News reports. In a separate attack in Plateau state, Fulani militants killed Christian fathers Ahmadu Jacob and his cousin, Yakubu Joseph on May 21.
Eight Christians were murdered during a May 19 attack on their church in the Chikun area of Kaduna State, ICC reports. The Fulani militant killers also burned down the church building.
The Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, did confirm the attack in a statement, ICC said. However, Aruwan described the murderers as “bandits,” rather than as Islamic terrorists. Commenting on a tendency by Nigerian authorities to do this, Commissioner Bauer stated: “All too often this violence is attributed to mere “bandits” or explained away as hostility between farmers and herdsmen. While there is some truth in these assertions, they ignore the main truth: radical Islamists are committing violence inspired by what they believe is a religious imperative to “cleanse” Nigeria of its Christians. They must be stopped.”