A pastor has been hacked to death by armed Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria's central state of Nasarawa, according to World Watch Monitor (WWM).
Rev Joseph Kurah, with the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Obi town, was reportedly killed on 30 June after going to his farm at around 7pm to cut down trees for roofing wood.
Kurah, who was accompanied by three other people, was then ambushed by two other men who appeared behind the group, local witnesses told WWM.
The semi-nomadic herders apparently chased the group and surrounded Kurah while his three companions escaped without harm. Kurah's body was found to be severely mutilated later on at the scene.
WWM spoke to local sources who said that the attackers spoke Fulani and were dressed as Fulani herdsmen, with tribal marks visible on their cheeks.
There had earlier been a dispute with a local Muslim over ownership of the land, according to members of the church at Obi. WWM reported that many local Christians suspect that the Muslim hired the Fulani herdsmen to carry out the murder.
A man who identified himself as Kurah's nephew posted graphic photos on Twitter, saying: "They attacked him on his farm, cut off his arms and legs; then they chopped his head with a machete. I received a call on Thursday evening that my uncle, a pastor with ECWA was killed by Fulani herdsmen." He called on the authorities to find the killers: "All I want is justice to be done. Nasarawa State and the Federal Government must find the killers of my uncle. Whoever is close to Governor Al-Makura of Nasarawa State should please inform him that we demand the perpetrators should be brought to book...We have become preys that are hunted by marauding beasts in our land. I will keep shouting till justice is done. For how long will we suffer? He has left a very young family; three of his children are currently in the university. No one is saying anything about the clandestine killings by Fulani herdsmen happening almost every day."
The state government has so far remained silent on the matter but there were mixed accounts on whether or not the killers had been arrested.
Kurah left behind a wife and seven children. His body was buried on 5 July by the ministers of the Evangelical Church Winning All.
