A Baptist pastor and his wife were among nearly 200 Nigerians killed in a series of coordinated attacks that began Christmas Eve.
Militant Fulani militia targeted more than two dozen predominantly Christian communities in Central Nigeria’s Plateau State, starting at about 10 pm. on Christmas Eve and continuing into the early hours of Christmas morning.
Nine members of the Nasara Baptist Church — including Pastor Solomon Gushe and his wife — were killed in the assault on Dares in the Bokkos local government area. Convention leaders cancelled a planned Dec. 27 Christmas celebration in response to the attacks.
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‘Wails of mourning’
“In Nigeria, the bells of Christmas turned into wails of mourning as Baptists and Christians faced the reality of attack and persecution,” said Elijah Brown, general secretary of the Baptist World Alliance.
“We mourn with these faithful families. We join with the Nigerian Baptist Convention in calling upon the Nigerian government to launch an immediate and thorough investigation that holds those responsible to judicial accountability.”
The Nigerian Baptist Convention issued a public statement condemning “the wanton killings of Christians and the destruction of churches by the Fulani militia.”
Israel Adelani Akanji, president of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, called on security agencies to bring the perpetrators of violence to justice, and he urged President Bola Tinubu to “provide necessary security to all Nigerians.”
The statement from the convention noted Akanji believed the Fulani militia “decided to strike during the Christmas celebration when people are in the mood of giving thanks to God for the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Musa Ashoms, commissioner of information and communication for Plateau State, reported 195 deaths due to the attacks.
Amnesty International Nigeria reported more than 190 killed, while the Nigerian Red Cross confirmed 161 deaths and more than 32,000 people affected. At least 300 people were injured.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Ken Camp and originally published by the Baptist Standard.
