While North Korea consistently tops all countries in terms of Christian persecution, the African nations of Nigeria, Kenya and Somalia lead the world in atrocities.
In 2015, more than 4,000 of a world’s 7,100 Christians slain for their Faith were killed in Nigeria. That amounts to more than half of the total faith-based Christian killings. During the same period, Christians were forced to flee Nigeria as radical Muslim extremists, including ISIS, hunted them and their families down. Even as the war on terror throttled ISIS and eliminated its self-proclaimed caliphate, the violence continued to escalate in many parts of Africa.
Reports have come in that the atrocities against Christians in Nigeria jumped up by more than 60 percent in 2016. Fulani herdsman alone were responsible for murdering more than 800 Christians and peaceful Muslims, as well as torching 16 churches and more than 1,400 homes. Even these seemingly poorly trained and ill-equipped terror cells are storming villages with AK-47s.
According to Open Doors, the African nation of Somalia narrowly trails North Korea by a single percentage point in terms of Christian persecution. Sudan ranks among the Top 5 worst and Nigeria sits at 12th in the world. The Top 10 countries are widely considered to be the most extreme places for Christian persecution.
Recent Atrocities against Church Members in Nigeria
An elder of the Evangelical Church Winning All, located in Kano state, awoke to gunfire and assumed the terrorists were coming for him. He recounted a gruesome execution of a pair of Christians outside a Catholic church in a recent news report. This time they didn’t come for murder.
The extremists reportedly kidnapped his 45-year-old wife, Safiya, and two other females: Yaha Gabriel, 20, and Hauwa Bebu, 18. Both women are part of the St. Michael’s Catholic Church congregation. The gunfire heard by the church elder, Mai’angwa Samaila, was the Jihadists killing a father and son as they took the hostages. The gunmen later ransomed the Christian women back for $8,253 U.S. dollars.
“We believe that Christian communities here are being persecuted because of our faith,” Samaila reportedly said. “The government is aware about such invasions of Christian communities but has not done anything to put an end to the menace. The sad thing is that it is only Christians that are being killed or kidnapped in our area, as there was never any Muslim community attacked or a Muslim kidnapped.”
“I will never allow them to kidnap me alive, they just have to kill me,” Samaila reportedly said. “This is a conspiracy against us Christians in Kano. Those in authority and government know those armed Muslims carrying out these attacks against us, and that is the reason they are not concerned about our plight. It is a battle against Christianity and Christians in Kano state.”
Persecution on the Rise in Kenya
In Africa, Islamic extremists are not necessary directly linked to groups such as ISIS. Regional hardliners have taken it upon themselves to use intimidation tactics to prevent the growth of Christianity and open worship. A disturbing report about brutal methods was recently reported in the Nairobi, Kenya, region.
Extremists attacked a widow and her three children in their home. Led by a Somali immigrant, a gang of Muslim thugs smashed windows and broke into the home at 5:30 am. The gang of radicals beat the family, including women and a child while delivering a threatening message.
“We have warned you several times to stop taking the children to church,” one extremist reportedly said. “You have become an embarrassment to our clan as well as the entire Muslim community. We are here today to finish you and your children.”
The widow, giving only the surname Hadiya out of fear, recounted that she was further threatened by as many as 10 local Islamic elders after reporting the beatings to the police.
“My family has experienced difficult times since the time we embraced the Christian faith, but God has been always coming to our rescue and meeting our needs,” Hadiya reportedly said. “We are grateful to the church and good Samaritans who have stood with my family in trying moments. We are at crossroads. But how long will this kind of life and persecution continue?”
“We will not recant the Christian faith,” she said. “We will continue putting our faith in God.”
~ Christian Patriot Daily