Terrorist attacks have forced a denomination to shut 70 churches in central Nigeria’s Plateau state, while within the country’s northwest, Christians are celebrating the discharge of a kidnapped priest.
The Rev. Amos Mohzo, president of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News that attacks by Fulani herdsmen and other terrorists have forced 70 congregations in Plateau state’s Mangu and Bokkos counties to stop services previously two years.
Previous Christmas attacks last December directly affected COCIN congregations, he said.
“Our members were killed, people were killed, people lost their houses, many [were] traumatized and we couldn’t do anything,” Pastor Mohzo said. “We were stranded, but we needed to face the challenge, and Christmas was celebrated by displaced Christians in Internally Displaced People’s (IDPs) camps despite the tragedy.”
In the Mangu area, attacks forced no less than 40 COCIN congregations to shut, he said.
“Most of those members of our church were displaced, and plenty of of them live in camps outside their communities,” Mohzo said. “Most of those Christians have been moving here and there attempting to survive or find succor.”
In the Bokkos area, the denomination lost “about 30” congregations, he said.
“All our worship church buildings in these communities were burned down by the terrorists,” Mohzo added. “Internally Displaced Christians from these communities are still living in camps outside their communities. And even now, most of them who’re farmers are unable to go to their farms.”
In some cases, Christians who’ve dared to return to their farms have formed communal groups for a greater sense of security, he said.
“Notwithstanding, our displaced church members still find it difficult to go to their farms for productive activities due to ceaseless attacks against them by armed terrorists, herdsmen and bandits,” he said. “With these developments, we’ve been making efforts to see that our church members who survived these attacks and live in camps outside their communities are relocated back to their communities. But then, we’ve to rebuild not only worship buildings, but additionally their burned houses.”
At the identical time, COCIN evangelistic outreaches in northeastern Nigeria have been hindered by attacks by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
“I’m from the northeast of Nigeria, Gwoza Local Government Area, precisely from Limankara town, and my village is Ngoshe Sama, which is situated on the hills,” Mohzo said. “Boko Haram took over the village years back, and so they’re still there. So, these hills occupied by Boko Haram terrorists overlook Limankara and Gwoza towns. These terrorists come down from the hills to attack our communities after which retreat into the hills.”
The attacks on June 29 in Gwoza killed and maimed each Christians and Muslims, he said.
“We live together as a community,” Mohzo explained. “However, with the approaching of insurgency, the emergence of Boko Haram in Borno state, a lot of our people have been killed, and others have been driven out and displaced to other areas of Nigeria. Those who haven’t any places to go to had to remain back and make up their minds to die when attacked by the terrorists.”
Life has not been easy for the survivors, he lament ed.
“They cannot go to their farms due to terrorists, in order that they rely upon Non-Governmental Organizations to support them,” he said. “And with present economic hardship being experienced within the country, the NGOs, too, are unable to cater to those displaced Christians.”
The sheer variety of kidnappings has also made it difficult for the COCIN to lift money to pay the ransom demand to release one in every of its pastors. The Rev. Paul Musa was kidnapped along together with his wife by Boko Haram terrorists in March 2023, he said.
“We, as a church, are handicapped, since it is not possible to lift money in any respect times to pay ransoms to terrorists to secure the discharge of pastors being held captive,” he told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. “And it’s because almost in all parts of northern Nigeria, our church members and pastors are being kidnapped by terrorists. So, where can we raise large sums of cash to get them out from their captors?”
Nevertheless, COCIN leaders have been appealing to individuals and organizations to secure the discharge of Musa and other church members held captive. Musa and his wife have been held captive for greater than a 12 months.
“I used to be recently in the town of Maiduguri and visited his children,” he said. “They’re traumatized. They pleaded with me to secure the discharge of their parents, and I told them that whether it is inside my reach I is not going to allow their parents to stay in captivity even for one second, however it’s beyond us. The children are at all times crying, at all times in tears for his or her parents. It pains my heart to see these children in this manner.”
Boko Haram Islamic terrorists who kidnapped the pastor and his wife in Borno state, northeast Nigeria, within the third week of June threatened to kill him if the ransom wasn’t paid inside per week.
“The ultimatum issued has now expired, because it’s now greater than per week when the threat was issued by the terrorists, and nothing has been heard from his captors,” Mohzo said. “We are appealing to the captors of Rev. Musa and his wife to please release them. They must have mercy on the couple and release them.”
He said terrorist attacks have also engulfed northwest Nigeria.
“Our churches within the northwest of the country usually are not spared by terrorists either. Christians within the northwest of Nigeria also suffer the identical terrorists’ attacks,” he said. “Evangelization activities have been impeded on this a part of the country. How can we deliberately jeopardize and endanger the lives of those called to ministry, after we know that they’re going to develop into targets of terrorist attacks?”
In northwest Nigeria’s Zamfara state, Roman Catholic Priest Mikah Suleiman was released on Sunday after being kidnapped on June 22, in response to the church’s Sokoto Diocese. He and church officials didn’t reveal who had kidnapped him or reveal the terms for his release.
“I need to thanks on your prayers and support towards my rescue,” Suleiman said in a video released by the diocese on Sunday. “By the grace of God, I’m out from the hands of the bandits.”
Sokoto Diocese Communications Director Pascal Salifu thanked “the authorities and all involved in securing Father Mikah’s release.”
In the Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List of the countries where it’s most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria was ranked No. 6, just because it was within the previous 12 months.
Nigeria remained the deadliest place on this planet to follow Christ, with 4,118 people killed for his or her faith from Oct. 1, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2023, in response to the WWL report. More kidnappings of Christians than in some other country also took place in Nigeria, with 3,300.
Nigeria was also the third-highest country in variety of attacks on churches and other Christian buildings comparable to hospitals, schools and cemeteries, with 750, in response to the report.
