A pastor in a largely Christian village in Nigeria was killed in a Feb. 26 attack, during which several other believers were abducted.
Rev. Joshua Ajiya of the Evangelical Reformed Church of Christ lost his life in Dorowa Maitozo during the attack from Muslim tribesmen, according to Emmanuel Stephen, another pastor in the area.
“Fulani bandits attacked Dorowa community in Maitozo, located in Ninzo Chiefdom in Sanga Local Police Area of Kaduna state,” Stephen said, per a report from Christian Daily.
“The attack tragically led to the killing of Rev. Joshua Ajiya, a pastor of the ERCC Church congregation in Dorowa community under ERCC Randa Conference,” the statement continued.
“He had served the church in the Dorowa community for only two months before he was killed by Muslim Fulani bandits.”
Dozens of other villagers went missing immediately after the attack.
“May God comfort the affected families and continue to protect our communities during this difficult time,” Thomas Hassan, a resident, said to Christian Daily.
The outlet noted that just weeks earlier, other attacks had devastated Christians in Arak, another village in Sanga County.
More than 30 Christians were abducted on Jan. 5, while two were killed, according to locals.
An elderly woman named Averik Arak was kidnapped after her son, Kefas Habila Averik, was one of the two Christians murdered.
Nigeria has drawn international attention for a rising tide of violence against Christians.
The attacks are especially bad in the northern and central parts of the country, as the Christian population primarily resides in the south.
Open Doors currently ranks Nigeria seventh on its World Watch List of Christian persecution.
“Nigeria continues to be the most violent place to live in for believers and much of this comes from Islamist militant groups, such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province,” the ministry said.
“They target Christians and church buildings through intense attacks and converts from Islam are especially mistreated.”
There are 12 states in northern Nigeria which have implemented Sharia law.
Under Sharia, Christians are “treated as second-class citizens,” leaving them vulnerable to attacks and kidnappings.
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