Jul 2, 2025
Islamic extremist groups, particularly Muslim Fulani militants, have been terrorizing the Catholic farming community of St. Joseph’s Parish in Layin Minista, located in Nigeria’s Katsina state, since 2020. These armed groups have relentlessly attacked Christian villages in Gidan Namune and surrounding areas, causing mass displacement, the collapse of rural farming, and numerous abductions. Despite threats from extremist leaders ordering farmers to cease planting, many Christian farmers have risked returning to their land to support their families. Unfortunately, the attackers have raided farms, shot villagers, destroyed crops, and kidnapped individuals. Some victims have been faced with horrifying ultimatums, like being forced to choose between their life and the lives of their loved ones. With many abducted individuals still missing, Father Stephen Solomon Shidi has called on Nigerian security forces and humanitarian organizations to assist with rescue efforts and provide support for the injured and displaced.
The violence perpetrated by organized Fulani terror groups has significantly affected rural Christian communities across northwestern Nigeria, with over 17,000 Christians killed and more than 8,000 abducted between 2020 and 2024. These groups, often armed with military-grade weapons, do not always operate under a clear religious ideology, but their actions have disproportionately impacted Christian minorities in the northern regions of the country. As attacks on Christian farming villages increase, the Malumfashi region has seen families fleeing for safety, with some living in overcrowded shelters and facing a severe lack of food, medical care, and educational resources. Despite some military and police presence in the region, many communities remain vulnerable to attacks, as Fulani extremists often escape into forested areas. Father Shidi and other Catholic leaders have called on the government to take stronger action to protect civilians and provide necessary assistance to those affected by the violence.
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SOURCE: International Christian Concern