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Nigerian Christians flee homes, fearing more attacks

Published: March 10, 2010

Christian villagers in Nigeria have fled their homes fearing new attacks in the aftermath of a massacre that killed some 500.

Acting President Goodluck Jonathan sacked his chief security advisor following Sunday's killings, but the government must tackle deep-rooted poverty in order to combat the underlying causes of the ethnic tensions, according to an AFP report in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Troops patrolled the three villages where members of the mainly Muslim Fulani ethnic group embarked on their killing spree but residents of neighbouring villages said they have received new threats.

"We are fleeing our village because we are afraid we might be the next target of attack by these Fulani," said Patricia Silas, 30, who was fleeing her village with a six-month-old baby strapped to her back.

"They have been making phone calls warning they are going to attack. We take these threats seriously, we don't want to be caught off-guard," she added.

Officials said more than 500 people from the mainly Christian Berom ethnic group were hacked to death with machetes, axes and daggers in three villages of Dogo Nahawa, Ratsat and Zot on Sunday morning.

FULL STORY

Christians flee after Nigeria massacre (Sydney Morning Herald/AFP)

 Interview with Archbishop http://members4.boardhost.com/acnaus/msg/1268025233.html

 

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Daily Prayer

Gospel Verse for 31 July 2010
...though [Herod] wanted to put [John] to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet. [Matthew 14:5]

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