Suspected militants of Islamic extremist group Boko Haram killed a pastor at his home in Gombe state, Nigeria on Sunday (Feb. 9), as violence continued to terrorize the country’s northeast, sources said.
The Rev. Bala Galadima of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) was shot to death at about 1 a.m. on Sunday (Feb. 9) in Lubo, according to members of the local ECWA congregation. They said gunmen dressed in black robes broke into his residence on the premises of the ECWA church in Lubo, Yamaltu-Deba County and shot him point black in the back while he was in bed.
Congregation members said the terrorists entered the town shooting into the air to discourage anyone from attempting to stop them. First arriving at a house they mistakenly believed to be that of Pastor Galadima, they asked for directions to his home, demanding money at gunpoint from those informing them before going on to the ECWA property.
“Our hearts are heavy, as we are left alone in a complicated world with the killing of our pastor, Rev. Bala Galadima,” said church member to Lami Sabo. “His courage, advice, teachings and generosity will be highly missed by us his church members.”
The pastor’s death deeply affected the church, she said.
“We members of ECWA Church Lubo will really miss him,” Sabo said. “It’s very hard for us to say goodbye to our general in the Lord, Rev. Bala Galadima.”
Buhari Abdullahi of the Gombe State Police Command said in a statement that officers arrived at the church premises after the assailants had escaped.
“Gombe State Commissioner of Police Bello Yahaya visited the hospital where the body of the deceased pastor was taken to and has deployed a special squad of police personnel to the area,” Abdullahi said. “We have coordinated a special operation, and we are confident that the culprits would be arrested.”
Chibok Attacks
In neighboring Borno state, Boko Haram militants again attacked in Chibok County in January, killing at least two Christians, injuring two others and burning down five church buildings and 74 houses, residents said.
Meantime, the Nigerian government on Jan. 30 set free 5,000 Boko Haram terrorists captured in military operations in Borno state, stating that they had been de-radicalized and had repented. On the same day, Boko Haram militants attacked Kauthlama village in Chibok County, burning down a Church of the Brethren in Nigeria (EYN) building, said area resident Paul Mauntah.
“This is a report about a distressing incident that occurred on 30 January, 2025, at 11:46 a.m., in Kauthlama B.,” Mauntah said. “Unfortunately, a church and several shops were burnt down, and livestock, including cows, goats, and sheep, were taken away by Boko Haram terrorists.”
Despite repeated calls for help, officials seemed unresponsive, he said.
“The people of Chibok LGA are in dire need of support and protection,” Mauntah said. “The ongoing insecurity has caused immense suffering, and it is imperative that our leaders take concrete steps to address the root causes of the conflict and provide adequate support to those affected.”
On Jan. 16, Boko Haram militants attacked Yimirmugza village in Chibok County, where they burned down an EYN church building, said area resident James Ayuba.
“Some members of the Islamic sect called Boko Haram attacked the village and burned down an EYN church, houses and shops,” Ayuba told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News in a text message.
Area resident Moses Hameed confirmed the attack, saying the militants also struck Chibok County villages of Bamzir, Njilang and Shikarkir.
Hameed said gunmen attacked predominantly Christian Zillang village on Jan. 13, from 11:30 p.m. to 4 a.m. the next day.
Bamzir resident Iliya Dauda said his village was attacked on Jan. 12 at about 2 a.m., with Boko Haram terrorists destroying an EYN church building and killing two members of the church.
“During the attack, two brothers, Enoch Pogu Pudza and Josiah Pogu Pudza, who are both members of EYN church, were killed by the terrorists,” Dauda said. “The church worship building of EYN in the community was burned down by the terrorists.”
A Christian woman, Esther Yohanna, was shot and wounded by the terrorists, while dozens of houses were destroyed, he said.
Mustapha Madu, chairman of the Chibok Local Government Council, confirmed the attacks as carried out by “Boko Haram terrorists.”
“We’re currently looking into ways the victims can be assisted,” he said.
Amos Dauda, an EYN member, said it was disheartening that while Christians are under constant attacks from Boko Haram terrorists, some of these terrorists were being released on claims that they were de-radicalized.
“The repeated claims by government officials and security agencies that Boko Haram has been weakened in southern Borno areas are being contradicted by the recent devastating attacks in Bamjir, Shikarkir Njilang and Yimirmugza in Chibok Local Government Area,” Dauda said.
The attacks over the course of two weeks resulted in significant loss of lives and properties, leaving the affected communities in despair, he said.
“The aftermath of these attacks has left the people in an unbearable situation,” Dauda said. “Churches, houses and food stores have been burnt to ashes, leaving many without shelter, food, or a place to worship. The survivors are now facing extreme hardship, struggling to access basic necessities like food.”
The government must provide immediate humanitarian assistance to alleviate the suffering of innocent people and support them in rebuilding their lives, he said.
A statement issued by a Borno state official said that recent attacks in Chibok resulted in the killing of five persons, two others injured, and the destruction of five church buildings and 74 houses. Usman Tar, Borno state commissioner for information and internal security, said in a press statement that market stalls and properties worth millions of naira were destroyed during the attacks on Bamzir, Njilang, Shikarkir and Yimirmugza villages.
Nigeria remained among the most dangerous places on earth for Christians, according to Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List of the countries where it is most diffiucult to be a Christian. Of the 4,476 Christians killed for their faith worldwide during the reporting period, 3,100 (69 percent) were in Nigeria, according to the WWL.
“The measure of anti-Christian violence in the country is already at the maximum possible under World Watch List methodology,” the report stated.
In the country’s North-Central zone, where Christians are more common than they are in the North-East and North-West, Islamic extremist Fulani militia attack farming communities, killing many hundreds, Christians above all, according to the report. Jihadist groups such as Boko Haram and the splinter group Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), among others, are also active in the country’s northern states, where federal government control is scant and Christians and their communities continue to be the targets of raids, sexual violence, and roadblock killings, according to the report. Abductions for ransom have increased considerably in recent years.
The violence has spread to southern states, and a new jihadist terror group, Lakurawa, has emerged in the northwest, armed with advanced weaponry and a radical Islamist agenda, the WWL noted. Lakurawa is affiliated with the expansionist Al-Qaeda insurgency Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin, or JNIM, originating in Mali.
Nigeria ranked seventh on the 2025 WWL list of the 50 worst countries for Christians.
