At least seven people, including an eight year old boy, were murdered, and more than ten houses and a church were burnt to the ground in the early hours of Saturday, July 17, when a mob of about 100 Muslims attacked the village of Mazah. The small farming community is situated in a mountainous area less than ten kilometres outside the Plateau State capital, Jos, where hundreds have died in recent incidents of religious violence.
The mob allegedly surrounded the village and fired their weapons into the air. It appears that the villagers were attacked with machetes as they fled their homes and their bodies burnt.
Survivors are of the opinion that the attackers were familiar with the area, because it seemed that they had preselected victims and houses for the attack.
Shortly after the attack, Open Doors (OD) visited Mazah to encourage the Christians.
Rev. Nuhu Dawit of the Mazah Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN) has lost his wife, Asabe, and three daughters in the attack.
“Brother, it is unbelievable! They have killed my wife, my three daughters and burnt my house to the ground. They have destroyed me,” a sobbing Nuhu told OD.
“It is not easy! I am back to square one in life - no wife, no children. It is difficult! I am only co mforted by the life of Job who also lost his children, but later God blessed him.”
One of the local councillors representing the area, known as Joseph, lost his father, mother and eight year old son in the attack. Joseph and his parents’ homes were also burnt with everything inside. His wife, Hannatu, and their surviving five children narrowly escaped.
“I [still] can’t believe this [happened],” said Hannatu with tears in her eyes.
Another survivor, Yakubu (30), told OD that he also narrowly escaped death by crossing the valley between Mazah and Jos. On arrival he rushed to some Christian leaders for help. In turn, they informed the military about the attack.
Plateau State Police Commissioner, Gregory Anyating, told the News Agency Reuters that military and police patrols have brought the situation in Mazah under control. He added that the violence has not spread to other villages.
"We are trying to find out the root causes of the violence," said Anyating. "We have not re-imposed the curfew."
The government has publically condemned the Mazah attack, describing the incident as an effort to disrupt the nascent peace in Plateau State.
Dan Manjang, a special adviser to the governor of the state, called on the Mazah villagers to clothe themselves with forgiveness. He advised them to carry on with their business as usual, while the government is making an effort to ensure their safety and protect their property.
Prayer Points:
1. Please pray for the Christians in Mazah as they rebuild their lives after the July 17 attack. Pray that the Christians will support one another.
2. Pray for Rev. Nuhu Dawit to experience God’s comfort and consolation in this time of bereavement. Also pray for God’s provision in Nuhu’s life..
