Brutal attacks on Christians in Nigeria are condemned

Chai Brady speaks to missionaries about increased persecution in north-east Nigeria

Islamic extremism and violence in Nigeria is increasing after a spate of attacks targeting both Christians and moderate Muslims, destroying almost all the clinics and schools Irish missionaries built in the north-eastern part of the country over the last few years.

Much of the persecution of Christians in Borno state is connected with the fundamentalist group Boko Haram, who are behind the massacre of thousands of people since its inception in the early noughties. They have abducted thousands of women, girls and boys, many of whom have been forcibly recruited as child soldiers or subjected to forced marriages and sexual slavery.

Over Christmas a relatively new terrorist group, who are believed to be a splinter group of Boko Haram, drew international condemnation after murdering almost a dozen Christians in a video published to spread fear.

Murder

Irish missionary orders decried the “brutal murder” of 11 people believed to be Christian by Islamist extremists connected with the so-called Islamic State in Nigeria on Christmas Day.

The Provincial Leader of the Society of African Missionaries in Ireland said the beheading of ten people and shooting of one was abhorrent, and called for justice shortly after the incident.

Irish provincial leader Fr Malachy Flanagan SMA told The Irish Catholic: “It is with deep sadness and abhorrence that the Irish Province of the Society of African Missions (SMA) has learned of the brutal murder of 11 people, said to be Christians, which allegedly took place on Christmas Day in Nigeria, by Islamic State associates.”

Many churches have been burnt to the ground, a lot of things have happened there and schools have been closed, of course, in Borno state”

It is believed the gruesome killing, aimed to coincide with Christmas celebrations, took place in north-east Nigeria. All the victims were male.

Footage of the murders was posted online on Stephen’s Day by the terrorists’ propaganda arm Amaq. The 56-second video showed 11 blindfolded men being lined up in an outdoor location. A masked man proceeds to claim the diabolical act was a response to the death of the group’s chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi who took his own life to avoid capture during a raid by US Special Forces in Syria in October last year.

“We send our condolences to the families of those murdered and join our prayers for peace and calm with Archbishop Kaigama of Abuja as he calls for justice and a fairer representation of Christians in the political structures of the country,” Fr Flanagan said.

Acting under the banner of the Islamic State of West Africa Province, or Iswap, the group has intensified attacks on Christians in recent months, making it increasingly dangerous to worship openly.

Aid workers and security personnel are also being targeted. Although Iswap has killed hostages before, this is the largest group so far.

The captives are believed to have been taken from Maiduguri and Damaturu according to a previous video seen by Reuters, areas in which the terrorists have been trying to establish a separate state under Islamic law.

The video showed the captives pleading for help from the Christian Association of Nigeria and Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari, who has condemned the attacks and called for unity among Christians and Muslims.

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Although the SMAs work in Nigeria, it is the Augustinian order that have done much of the missionary work in the north-east region of the country.

Fr Francis Aherne OSA, Director of Missions for the Irish Augustinian Province, said that it is not a “terrible shock” as extremists are very active in that part of Nigeria, saying: “I wouldn’t be surprised at all about the atrocities that have been happening out there.

“I never served in Borno State, I knew about it all right, I’ve been there on a number of occasions.”

Regarding the situation for Christians he said “it has been terrible really for quite a while”.

“It’s been going on for a few years with Boko Haram, the army don’t seem to be able to put down the unrest. Many churches have been burnt to the ground, a lot of things have happened there and schools have been closed, of course, in Borno state. The fear is that it will spread to some other states, kidnapping has certainly gone on in other states.

“It’s very sad – we had a number of schools, clinics things like that and from what I can gather they’re all destroyed now in the north-east, I suppose over the past 15 years, the vast majority of them.”

Despite the destruction in many parts of the region, the state capital of Maiduguri receives more protection from the army who have a base there, making it safer.

Fr Aherne said: “We had Muslims in our schools no problem, it’s just terrible to think that having spent so much time out there, I’m thinking of a few places, schools and clinics are all just I think totally destroyed.”

The order give financial assistance to people who have fled just south of the region.

“You see the Catholic Church would have a number of parishes still going and I’d say that outside of the state capital of Maiduguri all of them must wonder about whether they will be attacked or what would happen – the priests who are there. They would all now be indigenous priests, they must wonder if there’s any security measure that would protect them,” he said.

Although there is religious based violence, like much of Africa it’s also related to tribal affiliations. The local tribe in Maiduguri, the Kanuri, are believed to be behind much of the violence, according to Fr Aherne as many don’t listen to the dominant Muslim leaders. The government are struggling to contain the threat, he says and that “it’s very difficult for them, where this crowd Boko Haram is centred is three different countries, they’re on the Nigerian border with Cameroon and Chad so if any army moves against them they just move across the border”.

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Fr Aherne served in Jos and Kiduna, northern cities close to the centre of the country, where he says there wasn’t major problems, with any issues mainly being tribal rather than religious. Although his missionary work in the country ended 10 years ago – he was posted there for 24 – he has travelled back to Nigeria since returning to Ireland.

The Augustinians left Borno state after handing it over to indigenous priests and bishops, but there are still 130 working in the country. Their legacy of schools and clinics built by the missionaries, many of which have been destroyed, are now in the hands of the diocese who have to maintain and rebuild the sites as they come under fire.

Fr Raymond Hickey OSA (85) originally from Dublin arrived in Maiduguri in October 1960 and spent 28 years in missions in the area, of which he has “wonderful memories”. Overall he has spent 60 years as a missionary in Nigeria.

They continue terrorising every town and village after which they proceed with their wicked acts to other [Madagali] local government areas”

Now based in Jos, which he says is untouched by the troubles, Fr Hickey told The Irish Catholic there are efforts by authorities in Borno state to quell the violence.

“I do know that the present Governor of Borno State, and his predecessor, have done their best to protect Christian lives and property. A very positive relationship between them and the Catholic Bishop of Maiduguri Oliver Dashe Doeme exists,” he said.

He stressed that Boko Haram is as vicious towards Christians as they are towards the Muslim establishment in the country.

The terror group will be around for many years to come, Fr Hickey believes, but the “killings have strengthened the resolve of the indigenous Christians”.

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A third missionary, a Kiltegan priest Kevin O’Hara SPS who is also based in Nigeria, said Christians “continue to practice their faith with great courage in Borno state and in those areas affected by Boko Haram violence”.

His order, St Patrick’s Missionary Society, provide relief materials for some of the impacted communities in Borno state through the Catholic diocese.

“They provide us with shocking video evidence of killings of catechists and the most recent was the photograph of a young altar girl who is seriously injured but still alive,” he said.

Fr Innocent Sumu PP of St Denis Catholic Church, Madagali, regularly updates Fr O’Hara about the plight of his parishioners and provides evidence of the atrocities. He recently lost three male catechists to suicide bombers – who were all young girls.

The young altar server, Sandra Peter Teru, received extremely serious injuries in the same attack that took the lives of the three parish catechists. She is alive and being supported by her bishop and the Kiltegans for her treatment in the teaching hospital in Maiduguri. The images of the victims, seen by this paper, have been deemed too graphic to print.

“The priest has spent three years living in these circumstances. His is a unique story but I fear for his emotional wellbeing,” says Fr O’Hara.

“Very often he has to run with his parishioners in the night into the hills to escape from Boko Haram. The villagers hide and sleep there until the threat has passed.

“Unfortunately, there is no evidence that the situation is improving. It would appear that politicians and religious extremists are fuelling the crisis and getting support from various sources. The Christians have no confidence in the present Buhari government or the army to deal with the problem. Also, Muslim extremists are growing in strength across West Africa. There is a fear among Christians that Boko Haram and the Fulani Muslim herdsmen are using violence to capture lands and states to widen their influence throughout Nigeria.”

Fr Innocent told this paper that Boko Haram continue to cause “traumatic havoc” to the country at large.

His church [pictured] was destroyed in a 2014 raid. He said: “In the case of Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa state, Boko Haram entered the town in 2014 where they destroyed every structure that is tagged as a church…chasing particularly Christians away from their homes, after which they set their banners in every central area of Madagali, writing their Arabic terms on Christian signs.

“They continue terrorising every town and village after which they proceed with their wicked acts to other [Madagali] local government areas.”

Today the people of Madagali live in relative safety as long as they don’t go into certain no-go areas a few kilometres away from the area, he explained. He thanked the Nigerian army for this.

However, it is not only Boko Haram that are part of the violence, as the Nigerian army have been facing severe criticism from human rights organisations regarding extrajudicial killings, mass arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture and other ill-treatment.

Speaking to Vatican Radio Archbishop Kaigama of Abuja said the “fighting and killing and kidnapping” are a way for terrorist groups to force the government to pay them ransom, or “free those of their people who have been arrested”.

“They are trying to create a situation of war”, he said, “they want to see Muslims and Christians fighting.”

They hope that among the confusion they will “have the upper hand and be able to destroy Christians, take over the country and even the neighbouring countries”.

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Although there are functioning Christian churches in Nigeria, Archbishop Kaigama said there is still discrimination against Christians which needs to change in order to “create equality” and secure “justice and fairness” for all.

A 2018 global kidnapping report from Constellis listed Nigeria first among the top 10 countries for kidnapping of foreign citizens in March-April 2018, a list that included Mexico, Cameroon and South Africa.

In the last decade dozens of priests have been kidnapped or assaulted in the country.

The former Superior General of the SMA, Fr Fachtna O’Driscoll, said in an interview last September with this paper that Nigeria has become one of the most dangerous countries to be a Catholic priest with increased attacks and kidnapping.

“There’s a lot of poverty, there’s a lot of young men especially who might have even gone to college but there are no jobs so this is a quick way to make some money. It’s frightening, very frightening,” he said.

He said even 10 years ago kidnapping would be quite rare, but “now it’s quite common”.

Asked whether priests are being targeted Fr Fachtna said that there is sometimes a belief the Church would pay the ransom for a member of clergy. Nowadays he said Church officials say they will never give money for any kidnapped priest “so that message has gone out strong”.

There is no doubt that the Christian Church in certain parts of Nigeria is facing persecution and intimidation, with attacks ramping up and atrocities becoming more frequent.

At the same time the country has the largest Christian population of any country in Africa. Standing at about 87 million, according to the Pew Research Centre in a 2019 report, Nigeria has the sixth largest Christian population in world but also has the fifth largest Muslim population at 90 million.

Almost every trip Pope Francis took in 2019 had an element of interreligious dialogue. It’s clear there is a push from the top of the Church for renewed efforts to respect those of all faiths and none, with the testimony of missionaries on the ground, it seems particularly important for Nigeria.

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Kiltegan missionary Fr Kevin O’Hara, based in Nigeria, explains some of the background to religious violence

The history of the sect Boko Haram is traced to 2002 with Muhammad Yusuf, a native of Yobe state, as its spiritual leader and founder.

However, he began to introduce some unorthodox beliefs – including aversion to western education and a call for jihad to oust the secular status quo – within the Salafi circle. He began a rigorous proselytising campaign to capture impressionable minds, especially among the youth who were unemployed and wallowing in poverty.

His daring and scathing verbal attacks on the government portrayed Yusuf as a fiery and intrepid cleric and this endeared him to the common people, who began to see him as a champion of the downtrodden.

Studies

His initial followership was largely from among secondary and primary school students who abandoned their studies on the ground that western education (‘Boko’) was a sin (‘Haram’), hence the name Boko Haram.

With time Yusuf rose from a poor preacher to a wealthy cleric living in opulence and driving SUVs in Borno state where he was hailed as a hero for his criticism of the government and his call for Sharia law.

His preaching – recorded on CDs – was doled out daily and sold in thousands. Yusuf’s followers began attacking police posts and government buildings in Borno and neighbouring states. At this point the President of Nigeria, Yar’ Adua, himself a devout Muslim, decided that the Boko Haram menace had to be confronted frontally.

Unfortunately, after the Nigerian army arrested Yusuf they handed him over to the police, they took their revenge for Yusuf’s killing of their men. They shot him dead. It would appear that some politicians and foreign agents continue to support Boko Haram for their own interests.

Recently Boko Haram splintered again and the new splinter group pledge themselves to ISIS. It is understood that this is the group who killed the Christians during the Christmas period.