Boko Haram terrorists operating in the Northeast region of Nigeria have burnt down two churches in Garkida town in Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
The terrorists also torched residential houses, hospitals, shops and vehicles in an attack that took place on February 22.
The Nigerian Army confirmed that one of its soldiers was killed and another injured during the attack.
The churches burnt, reports say, were a parish of Living Faith Church (aka Winners Chapel and Ekkelesiya Yan’uwa, a Nigerian (EYN).
Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, has visited Garkida where he sympathise with the residents of the town.
The 23 Armoured Brigade of the Nigerian Army said in a statement a soldier was injured when the troops engaged the terrorists in a gun battle.
Haruna Sani, a major and spokesperson of the Brigade, said but for the intervention of the army, the destruction would have been worse.
He said some of the terrorists were killed.
President Muhammadu Buhari also condemned the attack just as he sympathised with the families of the victim.
In a statement by his media aide, Garba Shehu, the Nigerian leader vowed that “in the coming weeks, Nigerians would witness an aggressive campaign to rout Boko Haram once and for all.”
Buhari, who said the Boko Haram’s attack on soft targets was an indication of their frustration, insisted that no part of the country would be abandoned to their fate.
In January, the terrorist attacked Michika in Adamawa State during which they abducted the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), in the placeReverend Lawan Andimi, and subsequently murdered him.
A report released by Open Doors USA on January 15 said 9,488 “churches or Christian buildings” were attacked worldwide in 2019.
The report entitled 2020 “World Watch List” also said a total of 2,983 Christians were killed for “faith related reasons,” and 3,711 others detained without trial, arrested and imprisoned.
The group said Nigeria remained the most violent country in the world where Christianity is practised as far as it’s data could track.
Chief Executive Officer of Open Doors, David Curry, said “The difference this year is primarily because, in Nigeria, Boko Haram has changed tactics. They have gone from assassination and these kinds of things to roadside assaults on Christians and Kidnappings. So we have seen a jump in those kinds of things. But Boko Haram is also spreading its wings into Cameroon and into Chad but also into Burkina Faso.”
The group also Nigeria ranked 12th among the 50 nations of the world where Christians are most persecuted.
It listed 16 other African countries, where it is hardest to follow Jesus Christ.
Of the African countries, Nigeria ranked 5th, coming behind Somalia, Libya, Eritrea and Sudan, Egypt, Algeria, Mauritania, Central Africa Republic, Morocco, Burkina Faso, Mali, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Cameroon and Niger also made the list.
