Rev Timothy Daluk by African News Today via Youtube Screengrab
CV NEWS FEED // A prominent Nigerian Christian leader is calling on the world to send help after 50 Christians were killed this week in Mangu, Nigeria when unidentified gunmen set fire to homes and open-fired on civilians.
The massacre that took place “[prompted] calls for authorities to end violence between nomadic cattle herders and farming communities,” ABC News reported. “No group took responsibility for the killings that took place in remote villages over a two-day period, the second such attack in less than a month in the state where more than 140 people were killed in December.”
On December 23 and 24 Muslim terrorists killed at least 150 Christians in the village of Gwana. The terrorists specifically targeted Christian homes, setting fire to the houses and open-firing while the victims were sleeping.
Association for Catholic Information in Africa (ACI Africa) reported on the similar attacks that took place in Mangu, Nigeria, highlighting the eyewitness account of the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Plateau State, Rev. Timothy Daluk.
In a message shared over social media on January 25, Daluk described the devastating events and called on the world to help.
“I am here to report the situation happening in Mangu Local Government for the whole world to understand,” Daluk said. “What is happening in Mangu at this particular point in time, the military are the ones sending our people away for the militia to burn their houses.”
“The military has killed three of our young men. One is from my church. They killed one yesterday, and I reported it to the security, and he said it was fake soldiers,” Daluk said.
He explained that he tried calling other authorities, but, “all of them have switched off their phones. They allowed the place to be burned down and be raided by the people.”
ACI Africa noted that “Nigerian military has been accused of turning a blind eye to attacks against non-Muslims in Nigeria.”
“At this particular point in time, they have sent every Christian away from the new market, thereby leaving the Muslims to come and burn their houses,” Daluk said. “Enough is enough. We have cried, but the government is not listening.”
“I am calling on the world to understand that this thing should stop, and people should come to our rescue to save us. If not, that is an evil plan for them to destroy Mangu Local Government,” Daluk continued. “Because the governor is from here, and we are not going to allow it.”
ACI Africa reported:
Rev. Daluk said that Christians in Mangu are now ready to fight.
He expressed plans to “organize the whole Christians in Mangu Local Government Area,” saying, “We are going to fight. We are not going to stop.”
According to ACI Africa, Nigeria’s Defense Media Operations and Director Major General Edward Buba said on January 25 that the “[Defense Headquarters] is in the process of reaching out to [Daluk] to come and substantiate the claims… It is not unusual for emotions to cloud people’s judgment when they have been confronted with a very traumatizing experience.”
Buba added, “We will get to the bottom of his allegations after we have an audience with him. All the same, the military will continue to discharge its duties professionally and in line with the best international standards.”
