Christian leaders in Nigeria have reacted with profound shock and dismay on the suicide bombings in Gwoza, Borno state on Saturday 29 June, which resulted within the deaths of each Muslims and Christians.
“We are concerned concerning the resurgence of suicide bombing in our country and the threat it poses to the lives and livelihoods of Nigerians,” said Archbishop Daniel Okoh, president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), in an announcement issued on behalf of Nigerian Christian leaders. “This senseless act of violence is a stark reminder of the evil that terrorism represents and the necessity for collective motion to defeat it.”
The attacks began with a female suicide bombing at a marriage of a Muslim couple. At least two other suicide bombings followed at different locations, killing greater than 30 people and injuring many others, in response to Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shetim.
The two subsequent bombings on Saturday targeted a funeral and a hospital in Gwoza, near the border with Cameroon. Although no group has claimed responsibility, Islamic extremist groups Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), with which a faction of Boko Haram is aligned, are suspected. These groups have an extended and bloody history of violence within the region.
Muslim victims of Saturday’s attacks were quickly moved to the town’s cemetery for burial, where the second female suicide bomber struck. Christians identified victims from the primary blast and buried them on Sunday 30 June.
Boko Haram and ISWAP are driven by a radical Islamist ideology that labels any Muslims who don’t share their views as “infidels”, targeting them together with Christian believers.
Boko Haram’s 15 yr long campaign to impose sharia law throughout Nigeria originated in Borno state. This insurgency has displaced greater than 2 million people and resulted in over 40,000 deaths.
In the recent attacks, injuries reportedly included skull and limb fractures.
Archbishop Okoh commended security agents for his or her efforts to combat terrorism. “We encourage them to not relent of their efforts, as every crucial intervention is welcome to stop a relapse into the dark days of suicide attacks,” he said. “We must not let down our guards, because the situation could escalate and affect not only innocent lives but additionally worship centers and other large gatherings.”
The president of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), the Rev. Amos Mohzo, who’s from Gwoza County, reported losing church members and relatives within the attacks. He called for the federal government to take decisive motion against terrorists in Nigeria.
Nigeria stays the deadliest country on the planet for Christians, with 4,118 people killed for his or her faith from October 1st, 2022, to September thirtieth, 2023, in response to Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List (WWL) report. The country also recorded the best variety of kidnappings of Christians, with 3,300 incidents.
Additionally, Nigeria ranks third within the variety of attacks on churches and other Christian buildings, equivalent to hospitals, schools, and cemeteries, with 750 reported attacks. In the 2024 WWL rating of nations where it’s most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria was listed as No. 6, maintaining its same position from the previous yr.
