Source: www.persecution.org
Date: October 7, 2021
Nigeria (International Christian Concern) – Radical Fulani militants attacked two Christian communities in Nigeria’s Plateau State in attacks from October 1-5. The Muslim herdsmen destroyed more than thirteen hectares of farmland worth millions of naira, including eight hectares of farmland sponsored by ICC.
“I received a distressed call from the local zone chairman that, while they were in their place of worship that morning, it came to their notice that Fulani pushed their herds on the farm and grazed eight hectares of soyabean crop,” said Paul, ICC’s farm manager for that farm. “I assessed what happened to be deliberate, because if it was not well planned it would have been impossible to destroy eight hectares of farmland within that short of a period.”
The community leader of one of the attacked communities told ICC that “the attackers came during our church service. They grazed their cattle inside our farms, including the community farm. Three of our vigilantes went to stop them without knowing that the attackers came with sophisticated weapons. Sadly, three of the vigilantes who guard the farm paid the price of becoming Christians and were killed that day.”
When an ICC contact visited the first community attacked—the one attacked during the church service—he spoke with women mourning the loss of their loved ones. The village was attacked again while he was in the village—he narrowly escaped, uninjured, but two others were hit with bullets and wounded.
This is not the first time that farms in the area—including ICC-sponsored farms—have been targeted by the Fulani herdsmen. “I would like to plea with the Nigerian leadership,” Paul said, “to wake up to their responsibility of protecting lives and properties.”
About 18km from that village, Fulani militants also killed two Christian farmers on October 1. On October 2, two more Christians were ambushed. One survived but sustained gunshot wounds and is in a critical condition. He was discharged from the hospital as he was unable to pay the hospital bills, he told ICC in an interview at his home where he is receiving medical attention.
HOW TO PRAY: Pray for strength for these Christian communities amidst their grief. Pray for restoration of the farmland that was destroyed. Pray for an end to Fulani-led violence.