by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Washington D.C. Bureau Staff
BORNO STATE, NIGERIA (Worthy News) – Members of Islamic extremist group Boko Haram killed at least eight Christians in two separate attacks across Borno State over the weekend, local sources and authorities confirmed.
On Saturday (Aug. 30), militants ambushed Christian farmers working in Ngoshe village, Gwoza County, killing five. The following day, the insurgents stormed Mussa village in Askira-Uba County, murdering three Christians as they slept in their homes, according to area resident Hauwa Samuel.
“Christians here have continued to face challenges from constant threats and attacks from Boko Haram terrorists,” Samuel told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News.
Police spokesperson Nanum Kenneth confirmed both incidents. “Reports from our officers in the two areas showed that five persons were killed at Ngoshe community, in Gwoza Local Government Area, while three others were killed in Mussa community in Askira-Uba Local Government area,” he said.
Military spokesman Reuben Kovangiya likewise verified the attacks, assuring residents that the Nigerian army was working “assiduously to ensure these attacks are curtailed” and pledging protection “by all means at our disposal.”
Sen. Mohammed Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South in Nigeria’s National Assembly, said militants also burned dozens of houses in Mussa village. “Our people, whose only pursuit is peace and livelihood, continue to fall victim to the cruelty of insurgents,” Ndume stated. “These men and women deserved to live, to farm and to dream, but their lives have been cut short by those who thrive on violence and destruction.”
Boko Haram, officially known as Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād, has waged a bloody campaign for over a decade to impose Islamic sharia law across Nigeria. The group fractured in 2016, giving rise to a rival faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Both groups have repeatedly targeted Christians, Muslims who reject their jihadist ideology, and civilians in northeastern Nigeria.
Nigeria remains one of the deadliest nations on earth for Christians. According to Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List, nearly 70 percent of Christians killed for their faith worldwide—some 3,100 out of 4,476—were in Nigeria. The report stated that violence levels in the country had reached “the maximum possible” under its methodology, ranking Nigeria as the seventh most dangerous country in the world for Christians.
Despite intense persecution, the gospel continues to advance in Nigeria. Over the last twenty years, Christianity has grown steadily—from around 40% of the population in 2001 to nearly 50% today. In raw numbers, the Christian population has risen from an estimated 60 million in 2000 to about 96 million in 2020, with projections pointing to over 155 million by 2050.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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