Source: www.worthynews.com
Date: October 4, 2024
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
ABUJA (Worthy News) – Christians in Nigeria’s northern Kaduna state say Islamic Faluni herdsmen killed two believers on Sunday, the latest victims in relentless attacks against believers in Christ.
Brothers Raymond Timothy and James Timothy were shot to death as they went to check crops on their farm in Bakin Kogi, a predominantly Christian community in Kauru County, Christians said.
“The two brothers had gone to their farm to check on their crops in view of the destruction of farms belonging to Christians in our area by herdsmen, and they were shot and killed by the herdsmen,” Gospel Bishara Garba told the Christian Daily International-Morning Star News service.
Community leader Timothy Yusuf identified the assailants as Fulani militias. “We have reported the killing of the two Christians to local authorities of Kauru Local Government Area, who have also filed a report with police authorities in Kaduna state,” Yusuf reportedkt said.
James Timothy studied Christian Religious Studies at the Kaduna State College of Education in Gidan Waya town, in southern Kaduna.
Raymond Timothy leaves behind a pregnant wife and three children. Police said they were investigating the reported killings.
MORE ATTACKS
However, there were no isolated incidents: Several days earlier, on September 24, in Nasarawa Eggon town of Nasarawa state, suspected Fulani herdsmen intruded into the home of Catholic teacher Okey Ezike and shot him dead, area residents said.
Earlier in the town of Keffi in Nasarawa state, suspected herdsmen on July 4 had kidnapped Robert Kever, a Christian lecturer at the University of Maiduguri in northeast Nigeria. He was abducted from his home in Angwan Jama’ah, Keffi town, and remains in captivity, said area resident Joseph Audu, Christians said.
In May, a Christian retired public worker and union leader, Daniel Umaru Lagi, was reportedly killed also in Wamba County, Nasarawa state, his son Tigga Kefas said.
Lagi was kidnapped on May 28 from his house in Wamba town and killed in captivity a week later, according to Christian sources.
The Fulani attackers have been linked to several Islamic groups seeking to take over Christian farmlands and impose Islam.
Thousands of Christians have been killed and kidnapped in Nigeria in recent years.