On September 23, the Catholic news agency Aci Africa, reported that armed men attacked two Protestant churches in central north and northwest Nigeria in Africa, kidnapping the pastor and more than 80 believers. possess.
ACI Africa quoted the "Morning Star News", which was broadcast on September 17, from the city of Jos in Nigeria, according to which armed groups attacked the Cherubim Church. and Seraphim in Suleja in the state of Niger and kidnapped dozens of faithful who attended the all-night vigil. The newspaper has a column on persecutions of Christians, and says that according to eyewitnesses, the perpetrators of the kidnapping are Fulani, a Muslim, who specialize in livestock farming.
A local resident, Elisha Musa, told the “Morning Star News” envoy that soldiers from the Zuma Rock Barrachs barracks in Suleja had rushed to save the faithful but by the time the soldiers arrived, the captors had already left the church with the hostages three hours earlier.
The day before the attack in Suleja, Fulani and other terrorists attacked and kidnapped at least 57 Christians during a vigil at another church of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Kasuwan Magani, in the Kaduna state of Nigeria. More than 12 believers have escaped and 43 others are still in captivity, said Pastor John Joseph Hayab, president of the Kaduna State Christian Association. The terrorists demanded a ransom of 200,000 Naira, equivalent to more than 465,000 USD.
In the last year, 2021, 4,650 Christians have been killed in Nigeria, according to the NGO Open Doors, which advocates for persecuted Christians.
In addition to the Fulani who work as herders, the terrorist group Boko Haram, and the radical Islamic ISWAP force, are responsible for attacks on Christians in Nigeria.
On September 19, 68 religious freedom activists called on US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to put Nigeria back on the list of countries of particular concern in the US State Department's report on religious freedom. religion, after the US removed Nigeria from this list last November (2021).