“As for the captives, the amir [ruler] has the choice of taking the most beneficial action of four possibilities: the first to put them to death by cutting their necks; the second, to enslave them and apply the laws of slavery regarding their sale and manumission; the third, to ransom them in exchange for goods or prisoners; and fourth, to show favor to them and pardon them. Allah, may he be exalted, says, ‘When you encounter those [infidels] who deny [the Truth=Islam] then strike [their] necks’ (Qur’an sura 47, verse 4)” — Al-Mawardi, al-Ahkam as-Sultaniyyah (The Laws of Islamic Governance).
“Pastor, Three Other Christians Kidnapped in Central Nigeria,” Morning Star News, January 18, 2024:
ABUJA, Nigeria (Christian Daily International–Morning Star News) – Fulani herdsmen and other terrorists kidnapped a pastor and three other Christians on Saturday (Jan. 13) in central Nigeria, sources said.
The Rev. Haanongon Gideon, a pastor and council member of Ukum Local Government Area in Benue state, and the three others were ambushed on the Katsina-Ala-Zaki Biam Highway, said Jonathan Modi, Secretary of the Ukum Local Government Council.
The pastor and his personal assistant, Ior Silas Yuhwam, along with his driver and a police orderly, were kidnapped near Anyagba, Tongov, in Katsina-Ala County, at about 6:30 a.m. while on their way to attend a burial, Modi said.
“The council hereby advises all her citizens to remain calm and be law-abiding, while measures are in place to make sure the chairman regains his freedom,” he said.
Benue state spokesman Matthew Abo, a resident of the area, confirmed the kidnapping in a text message to Christian Daily International-Morning Star News.
“Rev. Haanongon Gideon…was on his way to Katsina-Ala town when he, together with three of his aides, were ambushed and kidnapped by armed Muslim terrorists,” Abo said.
The Rev. Hyacinth Alia, governor of Benue state, called for the release of Pastor Gideon while speaking at the funeral the kidnapped church leader was en route to attend on Saturday (Jan. 13).
Superintendent of Police Catherine Anene police said she had received a report about the incident, “and security personnel have been deployed to track the terrorists and rescue the victims.”
Christian and community leaders across Benue state say terrorist attacks in the state have become widespread, with cases reported daily. Emmanuel Odeh, an area community leader told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News that such attacks have taken place in Logo, Gwer West, Ukum, Guma, Katsina-Ala, Gboko, Makurdi, Okpokwu, Ogbadibo, Otukpo, Ugbokolo, Otukpa, Orokam, and others.
“Christians have become vulnerable to these attacks,” Odeh said. “The invaders use forests and mountainous areas as bases for their operations and nefarious activities, and security agents know this. Truth is, they lack the will to curtail these terrorist activities.”
More kidnappings of Christians took place in Nigeria, with 3,300, than any other country, and it remained the deadliest place to follow Christ, with 4,118 people killed for their faith from Oct. 1, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2023, according to Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List (WWL) report.
Nigeria was also the third highest country in number of attacks on churches and other Christian buildings such as hospitals, schools, and cemeteries, with 750, according to the report….
Kasahun Tessema says
Islam not only in the continent Africa, but it is also causing a lot of heart ache in here in Toronto, Canada. Unless all can see the negative effect of Islam religion for the wellbeing of humans, head cutting will also happen here.
Ray Jarman says
And the western press yawns. It would take too much effort to actually perform its function. Maybe some of those useless members of the press that were fired would have a job had they actually reported news like this one and so many other similar incidents.
somehistory says
” Truth is, they lack the will to curtail these terrorist activities.””
Brave enough to tell the Truth. Will he suffer at the bloody hands of the government? A government run by the fellows who carry out the terror activities….mozlums.
“ambushed and kidnapped by armed Muslim terrorists,” Abo said.” Will he remain safe and able to speak Truth?
These mozlum snakes have nothing to fear from their government…run by their friends, family, cohorts, fellow barracks members. The slaughter will continue until a Higher Power puts an end to it
dumbledoresarmy says
From the article: “Fulani herdsmen and other terrorists kidnapped a pastor and three other Christians..”.
Correction: “Muslim jihadis wreaking terror kidnapped a pastor and three other Christians…”.
The ‘Fulani’ bit is only relevant because the Fulani ethnic group converted to Islam centuries ago. The ‘herdsmen’ bit is entirely irrelevant.
As for the rest: it’s pretty damningly obvious that the Muslim-dominated, Muslim-infiltrated police, military, judiciary and government of Nigeria is in the corner of the Jihadis who are waging a war of extermination against the non-Muslims of Nigeria (who comprise at least half of the current population of that country). Behind closed doors they’re high-fiving as the Islamisation of Nigeria proceeds apace, village by village, region by region… forcible ‘conversion’ through kidnapping and enslavement of women and girls (most famously the schoolgirls of Chibok, but similar kidnappings and force-convertings and rapings and the use of these helpless non-Muslim girls and women as brood-mares), outright murdering and driving out of non-Muslims and the seizure or destruction of their lands and goods.
Nigeria should have been divided when the British decided to grant independence; it should have been divided into an entirely non-Muslim southern half – or better, southern two-thirds (with a massively fortified border, and assistance and training to enable them to defend that border in perpetuity) and a Muslim northern half… never to be trusted or ‘dealt’ with, ever, but put on notice that any cross-border aggression would be crushed with a ten-tonne hammer.
And given what we see everywhere else that there are Muslim enclaves within non-Muslim entities, the harsh reality is that any Muslims within the southern portion at the time of division should have been required to move north into the Muslim portion. Not one Muslim should have been allowed to remain within the non-Muslim state of southern Nigeria. The **Muslims** clearly do not intend even one non-Muslim to remain alive anywhere in Nigeria at all!
Who does not recognise that if, at the partition of India, every single Muslim had been removed from the portion that became modern India, modern India would be politically, socially, economically and psychologically much better off than it now is?.. and would have much greater freedom of action vis a vis its perpetually hostile Muslim ‘neighbours’, Islamic Bangladesh and Islamic Pakistan??
Every Muslim enclave gives birth to Jihad, sooner or later. Every Muslim ‘community’ anywhere is a fifth column or advance operating base for Jihad. The non-Islamic countries of the world had better wake up and recognise that. It should have been obvious generations ago.. centuries ago…
Harris Kange R.S. says
I happen to be from Benue State, North Central Nigeria, and can confirm what Emmanuel Odeh said to be the truth. The will to fight, dislodge or eliminate the terrorists is not there. One may describe the action of the government not making attempts to dislodge or decimate them as ‘wilful ignorance’.
It is our hope that the government of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which seems to have a ‘less or non-fundamentalist’ posture, will address the issue of banditry, kidnaps and terrorism with a sense of justice.
somehistory says
There are many of us here in the U.S. who are seriously concerned for the lives of Christians, and the lack of protection the government offers; which I personally see as nonexistent. It sems that the ‘government’ is not only “willfully” assisting the terrorists, but not ignorant of the situation.
the devoted adherents of islam only help each other; they see Christians and others as their enemies, only deserving of torture, extortion and death.
James Lincoln says
Harris Kange R.S.,
Is there anything that concerned individual US citizens can do to help the plight of Christians in Nigeria?
Anything?