02/13/2022 Nigeria (International Christian Concern) — On the morning of October 15, 12-year-old Emmanuel Amos joined his eight-year-old brother, Abednego, and their father, David, on a trip to visit their farm.
Their farmland was in Nkiedonwro, a village they were forced to flee to in 2017 when Fulani militants brutally massacred 29 of their community members.
For the last four years, Emmanuel and his family often returned to the deserted land during the day to cultivate their crops. At the sight of nightfall, however, they retreated back to safety to avoid the militia that killed so many of their peers.
But as the group traveled on this particular morning, the daylight did little to hinder the motives of the militants.
Emboldened by a historical lack of retribution, attackers intercepted the convoy in broad daylight and began shooting indiscriminately. Abednego and David were instantly killed. Emmanuel was rushed to the hospital, where he survived his gunshot wounds.
Twenty-eight-year-old Reuben Sunday, the trusted driver of the group that morning and close friend of an ICC representative in Nigeria, was shot dead. Reuben was survived by his wife, Abigail, and their four children, ranging from four months to nine years in age.
Abednego and David left behind not only Emmanuel but also their mother and wife, Laria, and six other children.
Sadly, thousands of Nigerian Christians are grieving such losses as their family members continue to be murdered in staggering numbers.
Despite the clear targeting of Christians in these attacks, the Nigerian government, along with much of the international community, refuses to acknowledge the religious factors at play.
ICC was able to alleviate some of the financial burden resulting from the loss of Reuben, David, and little Abednego. But most survivors, often losing their family’s breadwinner as well as their livelihood in these attacks, are left without assistance.
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