Seven Christians Killed in Jihad Attacks in Nigeria

Washington, D.C. (July 19, 2010)–International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that on July 17 Nigerian Muslims murdered seven Christians in Maza Village, near the city of Jos.

The Muslim attackers invaded the Christian village at 1:30 AM local time while the Christians were asleep. They killed the wife and two children of Reverend Nuhu Dawat, a pastor of the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN). They also burned down the pastor’s church.

The attackers then killed four members of another family and burned down several other Christian homes.

The police arrested three of the suspected attackers. The Muslim attackers are believed to have come from nearby Bauchi State , where Muslims are the majority.

This latest violence came on the heels of a March 7 jihad attack against Christians in Jos in which over 500 mainly women and children were murdered.

“We have always been attacked. We are never fighting. It’s always aggression by Islamic fundamentalist. We want the Christians outside in Nigeria to understand that. No true Christian kills. We want the Christians in the West to care for us, find out the truth and tell it to the international community.” Rev. Chuwang Avou. Reverend Avou is the General Secretary of Christian Association of Nigeria, in Plateau State .

Jonathan Racho, ICC’s Regional Manger for Africa , said, “What is it going to take for Nigerian government to protect its people in Jos? This bloodshed of innocents must come to an end.”