Nigeria (MNN) — Muslim gangs are engaged in a deadly hunt for Christians in Nigeria.
Carl Moeller with Open Doors says two Christian journalists were
killed five days ago in a village near the flashpoint city of Jos. According to Compass Direct News (CDN), the victims
were identified as Nathan S. Dabak, an assistant editor at a newspaper of the
Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN) called The Light Bearer,
and Sunday Gyang Bwede, a reporter at the publication.
CDN reported that the young Muslim men were answering calls
to the cell phones of the deceased journalists and bragging about the
killings to the callers. Moeller says, "They (Dabak and Bwede) were stabbed to death
by Muslim youths that later called one of our relationships there with the
Church of Christ in Nigeria and said, 'We have killed all of them–you can do
your worst!'"
A police investigation is underway. The burial is scheduled for tomorrow, Friday,
April 30. The murders have sent the
Christian community reeling. CDN records
at least four other Christians who were also
killed on Saturday (April 24) in the Dutse Uku district of Jos' Nasarawa Gwom
area in a revenge attack following the discovery of the corpse of a teenage
Muslim who had been missing.
Moeller says the violence is unnerving. "This is the kind of religious reprisal
killing that the Muslim extremists are exacting on the Christian community
there that is truly chilling." Why? He explains, "These are not just crimes
of passion. This is intentional attempts
to terrorize and to eliminate Christian presence in the northern part of
Nigeria."
While this kind of persecution scares weaker Christians into
silence, Moeller says, "There are those that deserve our prayers and our
support right now who are still boldly witnessing for the cause of Jesus Christ
there."
Pray that Christians in Nigeria will demonstrate the
love of Christ, in spite of the opposition they face. Click here
for more.
