Christmas in the valley of death, as genocide on steroids of Christians continues in Nigeria
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
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“More Christians have been killed in Nigeria than the rest of the world combined for 11 out of the last 12 years, per data of World Watch Monitor & Justice for Jos Project.
“On average, a Christian is killed every two hours making it the deadliest country for Christians” – Emmanuel Ogebe, international human rights advocate
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Bola Tinubu’s futile diplomacy in global financial centres to coax funds for investment in Nigeria has (again) been torn to shreds by the massacre of nearly 200 harmless Christians in Plateau – the story having been quickly picked up in London, Budapest, and Washington with damning negative optics.
The Guardian UK splashed the killings on its front page on December 25, filed by AFP (a French outlet), with the picture of a rickety truck carrying refugees and their threadbare belongings.
On the Eastern flank of Europe, Hungarian President Katalin Novak tweeted on December 27: “My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims. This massacre must end. Persecuted Christians must receive help.”
From across the Atlantic in Washington, international human rights activist Emmanuel Ogebe, a Nigerian-American and lawyer, also did a shoutout to Tinubu where he is (still) vacationing in Bourdilon, Ikoyi, Lagos to go beyond offering condolences and giving orders to the military to kill or fish out the murderers.
Muhammadu Buhari, who encouraged terrorism throughout his eight-year tenure, often resorted to the kind of response Tinubu has given, and Ogebe wants the new President to sincerely adopt both kinetic and non-kinetic intelligence to end the bloodshed across Nigeria.
Tinubu – without being told, and in spite of his wasteful foreign travel charade – knows he must fix Nigeria’s business environment to attract investors, who will come on their own, based on evidence and testimony of other investors, not based on him going to impress them with empty talk.
Who in his right mind will invest in a foreign country with endemic corruption from ground zero to the highest echelons of power, trapped foreign airlines’ funds, extortionate tax system, brazen treasury looting, unstable power supply, insecurity of property topped up with incessant massacres of citizens with bodies to prove?
Tinubu, if he is sincere, knows he has his work cut out at home; and Ogebe – Special Counsel, Justice for Jos Project who has documented and investigated atrocities in Nigeria since 2010 – has also reminded the President in his latest write-up on the Plateau massacre, published below:
Genocide on steroids
Two United States presidential award-winning humanitarians, Dr William Devlin (2022) and Emmanuel Ogebe, Esq (2009) have bemoaned the horrific atrocities on Nigeria’s Christians this Christmas.
The pastor and lawyer attended the 12th anniversary of the 2011 Christmas day bombing of St. Theresa’s church Madalla only to learn of new attacks this Christmas claiming almost 200 lives.
Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang said the “terrifying Christmas was well coordinated with heavy weaponry burning 17 villages” killing over a hundred Christians in three provinces.
Monitoring the 2011 Christmas atrocities from the US, I saw coordinated attacks in Yobe, Plateau & Niger States killing hundreds and which my cousins barely survived. 2023 is the deadliest Christmas since 2011.
This Christmas eve was the 20th anniversary of Boko Haram’s terror campaign. Now the Fulani killer militia have perpetrated their own Christmas terror massacres rivaling their triple digit slaughters in Benue (New Year’s day) and Plateau states (June) 2018.
“I wanted to go to Gaza next however what I am witnessing here in Nigeria is genocide on steroids but the world isn’t paying attention,” Dr Devlin Volunteer CEO of Widows & Orphans USA said.
“Our plans to help rebuild is held up by the continuous cycle of bloodletting since our June visit to Plateau State. The scale of humanitarian aid required can’t keep up to the level of ongoing devastation.”
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Related articles:
Northern Senators demand arrest, prosecution of Plateau murderers
US denial of religious persecution in Nigeria threatens world peace, Ogebe warns
Tinubu’s CSU records: Now that fraud is reconfirmed, will the Supreme Court reconfirm the fraudster?
Tinubu should rescue Leah Sharibu, not allow release of military intelligence
Nigeria’s democracy from Dan Fodio’s 1804 jihad to Tinubu’s 2023 jihad
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More Christians killed in Nigeria than anywhere else in the world
More Christians have been killed in Nigeria than the rest of the world combined for 11 out of the last 12 years, per data of World Watch Monitor & Justice for Jos Project.
On average, a Christian is killed every two hours making it the deadliest country for Christians.
The US government under [Joe] Biden has omitted Nigeria from an annual religious freedom review and sanctions regime required by the International Religious Freedom Act.
“Very few things on the planet show America’s betrayal of the present day martyrs of the Christian faith than the inaction, non-recognition and in fact active suppression of the harsh reality of death, death and more death in Nigeria. It’s past time to end the blood torrents of innocents,” the humanitarian duo declared during their 15th relief mission to Nigeria post-COVID.
People flee after attacks in Plateau State in May. Competition for natural resources between nomadic herders and farmers has sparked violence in the region. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images. Courtesy: The Guardian UK.
Long history of Boko Haram and Fulani killer militia collaboration
“Nigeria’s Christians face double travesty. They are devoured in life and ignored in death. It’s deeply troubling that these massacres by the Fulani terror militia which occurred freely under … Buhari (their kinsman former ruler) continue when non-Fulanis are in power. Credible sources tell us security forces had intelligence on these impending attacks 12hours ahead,” Ogebe disclosed at the time.
“Like Hamas also just did, the Fulani terrorists video recorded their atrocities and posted them online. This is a first for the Fulani terrorists and possibly a sign of collaboration with the more media savvy ISIS West Africa and Hamas. INTERPOL should investigate this.
“Plateau state has seen a long history of Boko Haram and Fulani killer militia collaboration. Sadly, again, just like they initially did with Boko Haram, the US and the world fail to recognise the barbaric acts of the Fulani militia as terrorism.”
Also on Christmas eve, a Catholic Church was attacked in southeast Nigerian Ebonyi state killing worshippers & broadening the religious violence beyond the notorious northern hotbed – putting it fully at par with the 2011 multi-state attacks.
Emmanuel Ogebe, Esq – Justice for Jos Project
Dr William Devlin – Widows & Orphans
US Humanitarians at burial site and St Theresa’s church Madalla on 12th Christmas since the deadly bombing. (Delvin (left) and Ogebe (second right).