ICC Note:
The Baptist World Alliance spoke out against the continued violence in Nigeria that has claimed the lives of so many Christians. Recently, two baptist ministers were killed in a suicide bombing. Never before have Christians in Nigeria faced this type of selective destruction. How long with the world wait before Boko Haram is confronted?   
12/5/2012 Nigeria (WordandWay) – The head of the Baptist World Alliance protested continuing violence in Nigeria that recently claimed the lives of two Baptist pastors.
BWA General Secretary Neville Callam said he is “deeply concerned about the continuing attacks being perpetrated by extremist groups, in many cases targeting Christians.”
Callam issued the statement after Olasupo Ayokunle, president and chief executive officer of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, reported two pastors were among at least 15 people killed Nov. 25 in a suicide bombing of a church located on a military base in Jaji in Kaduna State.
Callam cited special concern about Maiduguri, where a third pastor reportedly fled after assassination attempts. Maiduguri is located in Borno state, the epicenter of a violent campaign by the militant group Boko Haram.
Boko Haram is fighting Western influence and wants to form an Islamic state in Nigeria’s north. The group is responsible for more than 900 deaths since 2009, in attacks mostly aimed at government forces or officials and Christians, whom they see as infidels.
Ayokunle said Boko Haram has moved beyond bombings to direct shootings in house-to-house searches targeting Christians.
“We never faced this type of selective destruction before,” he said. “Continue to pray for the church in Nigeria.”
Meanwhile, Amnesty International released a report in November alleging human-rights violations by Nigerian security forces in response to the Boko Haram killings.
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