Terrorists Kill Two Christians on Christmas in Nigeria
Residents of Kwapre village, Hong County, in Adamawa State, identified the assailants as members of the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram, which seeks to establish sharia (Islamic law) throughout Nigeria.
Residents of Kwapre village, Hong County, in Adamawa State, identified the assailants as members of the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram, which seeks to establish sharia (Islamic law) throughout Nigeria.
Kwapre community leader Simon Buba said he and others filed a report with security agencies.
“Terrorists who are members of the Boko Haram sect attacked my community on Christmas Day while we were in a festive mood,” Buba said in a text message. “A day that we were celebrating God’s faithfulness in our lives was turned into a day of mourning. Two Christians were killed, and many houses were destroyed.”
Resident Moses Tekwata corroborated the accounts in a text message.
Police in Adamawa State confirmed the attack and killings. Adamawa State Police Command spokesman Suleiman Nguroje said in a press statement issued in Yola that two people were killed and properties destroyed on December 25.
It was unclear if the attacks were launched by Boko Haram or a breakaway faction that allied with the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in 2015. After Abubakar Shekau took over as leader of Boko Haram in July 2009, the group aligned with the Islamic State in 2015. Islamic State leaders in August 2016 replaced Shekau with Abu Musab al-Barnawi as ISWAP’s leader, and a Shekau-led faction broke off into a separate group.
The faction loyal to Al-Barnawi continues to operate under the name ISWAP. In contrast, Shekau’s faction has reverted to operating under Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati Wal-Jihad, also known as Boko Haram.
In 2015, the Global Terrorism Index ranked Boko Haram as the deadliest terror group in the world.
Nigeria led the world in Christians killed for their faith in 2022, with 5,014, according to Open Doors’ 2023 World Watch List (WWL) report. It also led the world in Christians being abducted (4,726), sexually assaulted or harassed, forcibly married, or physically or mentally abused, and it had the most homes and businesses attacked for faith-based reasons. As in the previous year, Nigeria had the second most church attacks and internally displaced people.
In the 2023 World Watch List of the countries where it is most challenging to be a Christian, Nigeria jumped to sixth place, its highest ranking ever, from No. 7 the previous year.
“Militants from the Fulani, Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and others conduct raids on Christian communities, killing, maiming, raping, and kidnapping for ransom or sexual slavery,” the WWL report noted. “This year has also seen this violence spill over into the Christian-majority south of the nation… Nigeria’s government continues to deny this is religious persecution, so violations of Christians’ rights are carried out with impunity.”
