Pastor, 5-Year-Old Boy Among 10 Christians Killed in Herdsmen Attacks in Nigeria

Among those wounded by gunshot were Jonathan Ishaya, Marthins Agang, Kassan Duniya and Jenifer Nicodemus, he said.

‘An Extraordinary Height’

The day before the attacks, the Kaduna state chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Rev. Joseph Hayab, had decried prior assaults in a press statement.

“The position of CAN is that the killings of innocent lives, maiming and destruction of property across the nation, particularly the fresh attacks in the southern part of Kaduna state, have reached an extraordinary height and are a matter of grave concern; hence, require that the federal government take a proactive approach instead of taking sides,” Pastor Hayab said. “Aside from the degree of endless destruction of lives and property and government’s complicit response, CAN wishes to unequivocally assert that government has not done enough to stop the never-ending attacks, nor has it demonstrated guaranteeing steps to arrest the aggressors.”

The president of the Southern Kaduna Baptist Conference, the Rev. Donald Arak, also expressed alarm in a press statement.

“We are dismayed that the government is not doing anything to condemn these attacks on Christians, nor give Christians hope that they are working to end these incessant attacks in Kaduna state,” Pastor Arak said. “On our part, we will continue to pray for God’s intervention to bring to an end these attacks on Christians in Kaduna state.”

On Jan. 30 Christian Solidarity International (CSI) issued a genocide warning for Nigeria, calling on the Permanent Member of the United Nations Security Council to take action. CSI issued the call in response to “a rising tide of violence directed against Nigerian Christians and others classified as ‘infidels’ by Islamist militants in the country’s north and middle belt regions.’”

Nigeria ranked 12^th on Open Doors’ 2020 World Watch List of countries where Christians suffer the most persecution but second in the number of Christians killed for their faith, behind Pakistan.

This article originally appeared on MorningStarNews.org. If you would like to help persecuted Christians, visit MorningStarNews.org for a list of organizations that can orient you on how to get involved.