Nigeria (MNN) — In a devastating wave of violence, Fulani gunmen killed more than 200 Christians in a single night.
“You see children, you see mothers, you see fathers just killed. They were either burned to death, they were shot to death. And it was absolutely gruesome…”
This attack reflects a growing pattern of violent assaults on Christians across Nigeria. Greg Musselman of Voice of the Martyrs Canada shares the chilling account of the most recent massacre. On the night of June 13 to 14, Fulani gunmen stormed the Yelwata Catholic mission in Benue State, where many internally displaced people had sought refuge.
Nigeria Benue State map (picture courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
Shouting “Allahu Akbar,” the attackers burned buildings and slaughtered people with guns and machetes. At least 218 were killed, and more than 6,000 were displaced.
This particular assault stood out from the days of earlier violence. Musselman explains, “What makes this one just a little bit different is the number of people that were killed and the fact that the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom is saying, ‘Come on, something needs to be done. This is a country that is out of control!’”
The Fulani herdsmen’s motives include seizing land and enforcing their version of Islam on the populations they target. But another major reason for the violence is the growing Christian presence in northern Nigeria. “I have met so many former Muslims that are now Christians, and they’re just loving the Lord, wanting to do God’s mission,” says Musselman.
When it comes to violence, the Fulani militants have surpassed even Boko Haram. “In many of the places where we work through Voice of the Martyrs in Nigeria, it is, once again, the Fulani militants — radical Muslims — who are causing all this destruction,” he adds. Many Christians feel abandoned by their government and are fleeing with little hope of return.
As the Gospel spreads in the northern Nigeria and persecution intensifies, it resembles a war on earth. Musselman described it this way: “Can you see this battle between God’s kingdom and the kingdom of darkness? But the Gospel is going forward, and people are coming to know Him.”
How can you help?
First, “We must remember that they are individual people,” reminds Musselman — not just numbers in a statistic, but human beings with potential, gifts, and skills whose lives were tragically cut short, or are currently in danger. Second, pray and support frontline ministries like Voice of the Martyrs Canada and others serving in similar contexts.
Header image courtesy of Bruchin Noeka via Pexels.
