Expelled Christian Students Targeted by Militants in Nigeria

Christian students in Nigeria who were expelled from their public school in November last year for carrying out an evangelistic outreach on campus, have been targeted by Muslim militants.

Two of the students’ families were attacked on 26th January in Nigeria’s Gombe state. "Muslim militants went to Gombe to ... kill [Hanatu Haruna Alkali], but fortunately, she was not at home at the time," said Rev. Oludare Aliu, national coordinator of the students’ ministry of the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA).

Aliu said: "The family was held at gun point. Hannatu’s father happens to be a former military officer. He wrestled with the militants and was able to disarm one of them who had a gun. While he was fighting them, one of the militants stabbed Hannatu’s mother with a knife. She has been treated for the wounds."

Militants have also attacked the family of Abraham Adamu Misal. "He has already escaped and is now in hiding," Aliu said. "We are yet to get details about the whereabouts of the other three students."

Authorities of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) and the Federal Polytechnic in Bauchi, have expelled five Christian students, including Alkali and Misal. The expulsion was a result of complaints by Muslim students on the campus that the Christian students had blasphemed the prophet Mohammad as they preached the Gospel to fellow Muslim students.

Since then, conflicts among Muslim and Christian students have risen following the incident. Representatives of the Christian Association of Nigerian in Bauchi are currently demanding that the head officials of the two public schools be removed for causing the conflicts and that the five expelled students be reinstated in their respective schools.