Islamic Extremists Kidnap 4 Catholic Nuns, Shoot Christian Lawyer Dead in Nigeria

Islamic extremists in southern Nigeria abducted four nuns on Sunday, three days after suspected Fulani herdsmen shot and killed a Christian attorney in the country’s northwest, according to reports.

Benedict Azza, director of the legal department of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Zamfara State Chapter, was killed on Aug. 18. Two gunmen shot him in Gussau, capital of Zamfara state, residents told Morning Star News.

According to media reports, the gunmen attempted to kidnap Azza, but he escaped in his vehicle. The suspected kidnappers pursued him and shot him three times, leaving his body on the road.

“His corpse was abandoned by the roadside in the town,” said Luka Maitausayi in a text message to Morning Star. He asserted that the gunmen were Fulani herdsmen. “It is our prayer that God comforts his family and the church.”

Azza was from Yelewatta, Makurdi, Benue state. He attended the University of Jos and Nigerian Law School in Kano in 2008. He was married to Izuagie Rachael and the couple was blessed with children, according to the Daily Post.

As CBN News has reported over the years, the Fulani herdsmen, also known as the Fulani militia, are often radical Muslims who target Christians in their relentless attacks on villages across the West African country.

They were early adopters of Islam, participating in holy wars, or jihads, in the 16th century that established them as a dominant social and economic force in Western Africa, according to WorldWatch Monitor.

Four Catholic Nuns Kidnapped

Meanwhile, in Imo state in southeastern Nigeria, Islamic extremists working with Fulani herdsmen kidnapped four Roman Catholic nuns while they were traveling in the Okigwe-Umulolo area.

Johannes Nwodo, Christabel Echemazu, Liberata Mbamalu and Benita Agu were abducted while “on their way for a thanksgiving Mass of one of our sisters,” according to the Rev. Sister Zita Ihedoro, secretary-general of the Sisters of Jesus the Saviour. “We implore for intense prayer for their quick and safe release.”

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