Nigerian Christians protest violence

Hundreds of Christian protesters gathered in Nigeria to demand justice for Christians who have fallen victim to attacks by Islamic militants.

"More than 600 Christians have been killed since 2016 and 24,000 have been displaced without any help from the government," Ezekiel Bini, the leader of the Irigo protest group, told Christian News. "No one from the terrorist group called Fulani has been arrested and no aid is being provided to Christians in persecution," he added.

"33 people have been killed this year, 200 houses have been destroyed by militants and more than 4,000 hectares of agricultural products worth 500 million yen have been destroyed," he said.

 Fifteen people were killed during a ritual festival in Chando Zerrci, on April 2, most of them children.

Christians in northern Nigeria are under constant threat from Boko Haram, the Islamic State of West Africa (ISWAP), Fulani militants and gangs that carry out kidnappings and killings. While all citizens of northern Nigeria are under threat and violence, Christians are often targeted specifically for their faith — ISWAP and Boko Haram seek to eliminate the Christian presence in Nigeria, and Fulani Muslim militian attack Christian villages in particular. 

In addition to the dangers of violence, Christians in some northern Nigerian states live as minorities under Islamic law, where they face discrimination as second-class citizens. New believers who have converted from Islam to Christianity also face rejection from their families and are often pressured to renounce their faith in Jesus Christ.

Source and Credit: CP, CN