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Barnabas Update – August 15th 2019

Elderly imam awarded for saving Christians

Barnabas Fund, 30 July 2019

An elderly imam who saved the lives of Christians fleeing a murderous attack by Muslim Fulani militants in Nigeria, received an award recognising his courage on 17 July.

Abubakar Abdullahi was given the US International Religious Freedom Award for selflessly risking his own life in June 2018 to “save members of another religious community” when the militants attacked at least ten villages in Plateau State, killing scores of Christians and burning homes in a two-day rampage.

The 83-year-old sheltered 262 fleeing Christians, hiding women and children in his home and the men in the mosque in Nghar village. He then confronted the gunmen and refused them access, insisting everyone inside was Muslim.

He said later that he wanted to help because, 40 years previously, Christians in the area had allowed Muslims to build the mosque.