(Photo released by Compass Direct: Nathan S. Dabak)

Nigeria (MNN) ¯ Muslim gangs are engaged in a deadly hunt for Christians in Nigeria.   

Carl Moeller with Open Doors says two Christian journalists were killed five days ago in a village near the flashpoint city of Jos. According to Compass Direct News (CDN), the victims were identified as Nathan S. Dabak, an assistant editor at a newspaper of the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN) called The Light Bearer, and Sunday Gyang Bwede, a reporter at the publication.

CDN reported that the young Muslim men were answering calls to the cell phones of the deceased journalists and bragging about the killings to the callers. Moeller says, "They (Dabak and Bwede) were stabbed to death by Muslim youths that later called one of our relationships there with the Church of Christ in Nigeria and said, 'We have killed all of them--you can do your worst!'" 

A police investigation is underway. The burial is scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, April 30. The murders have sent the Christian community reeling. CDN records at least four other Christians who were also killed on Saturday (April 24) in the Dutse Uku district of Jos' Nasarawa Gwom area in a revenge attack following the discovery of the corpse of a teenage Muslim who had been missing.

Moeller says the violence is unnerving. "This is the kind of religious reprisal killing that the Muslim extremists are exacting on the Christian community there that is truly chilling." Why? He explains, "These are not just crimes of passion. This is intentional attempts to terrorize and to eliminate Christian presence in the northern part of Nigeria."

While this kind of persecution scares weaker Christians into silence, Moeller says, "There are those that deserve our prayers and our support right now who are still boldly witnessing for the cause of Jesus Christ there." 

Pray that Christians in Nigeria will demonstrate the love of Christ, in spite of the opposition they face. Click here for more

Source: (ANS) www.assistnews.net