Jihadists in Nigeria reportedly burned Christian children "beyond recognition" during several attacks conducted last month.
The International Christian Concern (ICC) said the Jihadists attacked on August 15 and on August 25 in areas within the perimeter of Jos, Nigeria leaving 40 Christians killed, which included a dozen children.
Accordingly, Fulani militants killed seven Christians, including three University students, on the 15th. One of the murdered students, Bitrus Danboyi, was on her way back from church when the Islamist attacked as relayed by a relative, Godwin Tengong. Danboyi is said to be the niece of Tengong.
While Daniel Dalyop, another relative of Danboyi's, referred to her as a "martyr" during an interview with Morning Star.
"(Radical) Islamists killed my niece while she was coming back from church! Let her blood speak!" Tengong told Morning Star News.
"She is indeed a martyr. Our loss but Heaven's gain. Jesus remains Lord," Dalyop disclosed.
The Fulani militants attacked the Nigerian Christians again on the evening of the 25th. This time, there were 16 killed with guns and machetes while another 17 were burned along with their homes. Those who were burned were already unrecognizable and included several children whose ages ranged from four to seventeen years of age. The adults with them included two senior citizens aged 75 and 90.
"Burned beyond recognition in the home burnings, according to community leader Sunday Bunu, was a 4-year-old girl, Timara Ishaya; a 5-year-old girl, Goodness Bala; an 8-year-old girl, Lovina Markus; a 13-year-old girl, Susana Ishaya; Halima Asabulu, 90; Sylvia Ajida, 56; Paulina Asabulu, 50; Deborah Asabulu, 37; Bridget Nathaniel, 20; boys killed were Ephraim Hosea, 9; Titus Bitrus, 13; Titus Ajida, 16; Silvanus Dauda, 17; Barnaba Hosea, 17; and Yunana Bitrus, 17; men killed were Yahanum Solomon, 18, and Babuka Bitrus, 75."
Last month, the Fulani militants burned an orphanage, The Binta Orphanage, in the Jos area to the ground. But unlike those attacked on the 25th, the orphanage's 157 children were able to escape alive. The orphans were actually victims of the Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen after their parents were killed from a previous attack.
The orphanage's coordinator, Choji Joshua, foresaw the upcoming attack of the Fulani herdsmen and evacuated the children before it took place knowing they would be killed if he didn't do so. The orphanage also housed the children's classrooms and hostels that were all destroyed fully by the fire. Infinity Bible Church Pastor William Devlin from New York has pledged $50,000 to rebuild the orphanage. The attack took place on August 3 in the area that left 68 people dead, 13 injured, and 25,000 displaced.
The United States has added Nigeria last December in its Special Watch List of countries where persecution for Christians is high, taking the place of Sudan and Uzbekistan. The country is often attacked by Islamist groups predominated by Boko Haram and Hausa-Fulani militants. Open Doors USA said, such extremist groups are "becoming more common farther south" of the country.
"Christians are often murdered or have their property and means of livelihood destroyed. Men and boys are particularly vulnerable to being killed. The women and children left behind are very vulnerable and living testimonies to the power of the attackers. Perpetrators are seldom brought to justice. Christian women are often abducted and raped by these militant groups, and sometimes forced to marry Muslims," Open Doors USA said in its website.
