Barnabas, Mission Partners of Castle Street, Missions

Barnabas Update – July 15th 2021

18 killed by suspected Fulani Islamist militants

Barnabas Fund, 13 July 2021 (excerpts)

Eighteen Nigerians were killed in Christian-majority southern Kaduna State when suspected Fulani Islamist militants stormed two villages in Zangon Kataf Area.  9 villagers died and houses were destroyed in Makarau on 11 July in an assault that began at around 5 p.m.

“These attacks are too much for us to bear, no one is safe in our communities,” said a resident. “Nobody can go to his farm now.”

Residents of Warkan were asleep when a large number of gunmen swept into the village at 2 a.m. on 9 July, killing 9 villagers and razing houses. Many others were injured. “The entire village is in confusion,” said a resident. “The destruction by the suspected Fulani is unbelievable.”

The attacks were condemned by the Congress of Northern Nigeria Christians (CNNC), which called on the country’s President Muhammadu Buhari and State Governor Nasir El-Rufai to protect people from the “incessant killings” and said the growing insecurity has made it almost impossible for farmers to go to their farms and people to go about their daily lives.

They also called on the good people of Nigeria and the Christian body as a whole to rise up and pray for God’s intervention to touch the hearts of those that have given themselves to killings, kidnapping, rape, maiming and the destruction of properties to have a rethink and stop.”