By Paul Jongas, BosNewsLife Special Correspondent reporting from Nigeria
GOMBE, NIGERIA (BosNewsLife)– Christians in northeastern Nigeria were lucky to be alive after suspected Islamic militants attacked the Catholic church where they were worshiping, injuring at least two police men and several others.
Witnesses told BosNewsLife that at least two gunmen, believed to be fighters of Islamic group Boko Haram, attacked the Kagarawal Catholic Church in Gombe, the capital of Gombe state.
“The gun men came on a motor cycle and opened fire on the police men guarding the worshipers, but the police men retaliated,” said a witness, who was not named amid security concerns.
“In the process of the fire exchange, they [the militants] injured two police men and some civilians.” No deaths were reported.
There was no immediate statement from Boko Haram, which means ‘Western education is a sin’, but it claimed previous attacks against churches.
MILITANTS KILLED
Sunday’s attack came amid reports that Nigerian security forces killed 20 Boko Haram members in Maiduguri, the capital of the country’s northeastern Borno state.
There has been growing pressure on Nigerian authorities to protect Christians in Islamic areas of Nigeria.
Boko Haram, which seeks to establish an Islamic state, has ordered Christians to leave especially the northern areas of the African nation.
It has killed hundreds, including many Christians this year alone, in an insurgency against President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
EVANGELIST DIES
In one of the more deadlier attacks last week, suspected Boko Haram members killed 19 people when they opened fire before a Bible study began at the Deeper Life evangelical church in Otite, a quiet neighborhood, 250 kilometers (155 miles) southwest of Nigeria’s capital, Abuja.
Separately, 57-year-old evangelist Ali Samari was killed late Tuesday, August 8, after he returned from work for the Good News Church in Maiduguri, in north-eastern Borno State.
He was a colleague of a BosNewsLife correspondent, who also works as en evangelist.
(With editing by BosNewsLife’s Stefan J. Bos)
The evil is so intensed on us because of our Lord Jesus Christ. they can bomb all the churches if they like, kill as many Christians as they want, one thing is sure, Christianity stands tall forever because Jesus lives forever.
Upon you Peter, I establish my church. The power of hell shall not prevail over you. Says our Lord Jesus Christ. Moreover, if they persecute you, remember that they persecuted me first. I therefore urge every christain not to relent in praying to our Lord Jesus Christ whose followers are been murdered everyday in Northern Nigeria. The battle is of the Lord himself now. Anyone that fight God shall have himself defeated. Dont forget that the early christains paid through their nostrils for the sake of the gospel. But today they enjoy unending glory with the most high God. Darkness cannever, must never, prevail over Light.
The devil has come to kill and destroy,but Jesus came to give life abundantly.Yes, the evil ones are thirsty for human blood and human ‘spare parts’. Remember,all shall come b4 the judgement of God.Nothing lasts for ever.’Boko ll not last long,God ll show that He is a living God. Christians, hold to ur faith- this is our 21st century persecution.Forgive them 4 they do not know d Good and joy in Christ Jesus.
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