This is disgusting.
Nigeria’s Bauchi state bears a longstanding record of extremist assaults, creating a dire environment for its Christian community, shared a seasoned pastor. Reverend Abraham Damina Dumus, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Bauchi State and a Baptist pastor, shed light on the continuous oppression and violence faced by Christians in the region.
Decades ago, Muslim officials and others forcibly relocated Christians to the outskirts of the city of Bauchi, which eventually evolved into the city center. However, Christians were once more displaced, compelled to reside far from their places of worship due to persistent persecution, Pastor Dumus disclosed to Morning Star News.
Despite owning numerous worship spaces within the city, Christians are constrained to live in suburban or outlying areas due to relentless persecution, Pastor Dumus explained. However, their unwavering dedication prompts them to make the journey back to attend church services and other religious activities.
The steadfastness of these Christians in the face of adversity has allowed them to persistently utilize their worship places, preventing their closure, according to Pastor Dumus. Presently, the old city center of Bauchi houses no Christians, as they were forcefully ousted by Muslims, compelling them to seek refuge in the outskirts.
Furthermore, Pastor Dumus highlighted the severity of extremism among local Muslims, illustrating how unrelated events, even those on an international scale, trigger attacks on the nearby Christian communities. He pointed out that areas like Yelwa, a Christian suburb housing educational institutions, become targets whenever these extremists perceive provocation from external events, despite the local Christians’ disassociation from those incidents.
Bauchi state, situated in Nigeria’s northeastern geopolitical zone, has a distressing history of church bombings and ongoing assaults fueled by extremism since the early 1990s. Pastor Dumus emphasized that the persecution of Christians in certain areas, notably the Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area, has persisted unabated for years, marked by continuous violence perpetrated by terrorists.
Governor Bala Mohammed expressed deep concern recently over a surge in attacks by terrorists infiltrating from other states, indicating the gravity of the security situation in the region.