7 Christians killed, teen girl kidnapped in Boko Haram attack
A Nigerian Christian mother bemoans the fate of her family. (Open Doors USA)
Originally published by Open Doors USA
December 28, 2019
Our field is reporting that seven people have been killed by Boko Haram in a Christmas eve attack on a Christian village in northern Nigeria’s Borno State. A teenage girl was also kidnapped.
On December 24, dozens of Boko Haram fighters stormed the village of Kwarangulum 10 miles from Chibok on trucks and motorcycles. As villagers fled, fighters fired shots and set homes on fire. A church was also burned.
“They killed seven people and abducted a teenage girl in the attack,” a local vigilante told AFP. “They took away food stuff and burnt many houses before leaving.” Nothing further is known at this stage.
This is the second attack on the village this year. In April, Boko Haram stormed the area before razing the entire village.
Nigeria is #12 on the World Watch List. It’s also the country with the most faith-related killings year after year.
One pastor we met in Nigeria described the current environment in the northern region as a survival culture — “You lay your head down at night, not knowing if you’ll wake,” he says.
Our field has called for prayers for this attack with specific prayers for the young girl who was abducted. Yet another Christian girl has been taken by Boko Haram near Chibok — known worldwide for the 2014 attack in which the militant group attacked a girls secondary school and kidnapped 276 girls. Some 112 young women are still missing.
Pray for the church in Nigeria that continues to be targeted by militant extremists. Two days after this attack on Kwarangulum, Islamic State released a video on December 26 in which they claimed to kill 11 Christians in their captivity.
Open Doors partners with the local church to strengthen, support and equip persecuted believers in northern Nigeria. Pray that these efforts will glorify God. Pray for strength, protection and godly wisdom for workers as they interact with the broken-hearted. Pray their compassionate care will assure our brothers and sisters they are loved and never alone.
Linda Lowry is a communications specialist for Open Doors USA.