A pastor and another believer on their way to worship God were among the 13 killed during the weekend in Plateau state, Nigeria.
The pastor, his son, and a church worker were traveling to a church service on Sunday morning in Dorowa Babuje when armed men ambushed them. They shot and killed the pastor and the church employee and left the pastor’s son in critical condition.
The assault continued in full force, as one resident said he heard gunshots ringing throughout the village well into midday, prompting women and children to evacuate.
This was not an isolated attack. Just hours earlier, five laborers in the region were shot on their way to work. Gunmen also terrorized several surrounding communities, and by Monday morning, 13 people had been killed.
These murders reflect the heightened outbreaks against Christians and Christian-majority areas in the country. This past week, 41 people were reportedly killed, and at least 100 were kidnapped, according to TruthNigeria.
Bulus Dabit, the national president of the Mwaghavul Development Association — an advocacy group for the Mwaghavul ethnic community — condemned the violence.
“The continued attacks are causing pain and fear among residents and should not be allowed to continue,” he said.
Though government officials are promising relief and protection from these terrorists, the violence continues to increase.
Masara Kim of TruthNigeria told CBN News that radical Islamic Fulani militants have been linked to many of these massacres, including those from this weekend. The news group had warned people that they were planning attacks in the area and cautioned them to watch for usual targets: buses, markets, churches, and rural communities.
Radical Islamist groups are growing in power. Open Doors has ranked Nigeria as the seventh most dangerous place in the world to be a Christian.
