Militant Christian group in Nigeria threatens revenge attacks on Muslims if Boko Haram continues to target Christians

Chiqui Guyjoco Wednesday, August 10, 2016

A Christian militant group in Nigeria responded to the latest threats made by Boko Haram extremists against Christians by vowing to take on Muslims in return.

A wall painted by Boko Haram is pictured in Damasak March 24, 2015. | Reuters/Joe Penney

The Niger Delta Revolutionary Crusaders (NDRC) released its statement Saturday where the militant group spoke of shedding the blood of Muslims and destroying mosques in the Niger Delta region should the Muslim extremists carry on their latest Islamization plot of doing the same on Christians and their churches.

"But, we want to warn them that we, the Niger Delta youths, in this 21st century will not accept killing of innocent Christians or burning of churches. That if they try it in the north or any part of Nigeria, we the Niger Delta youths will not see any Muslim or mosque in the Niger Delta," said the group's spokesperson W O I Izon-Ebi, according to AllAfrica.

Boko Haram, considered as the most destructive militant group last year, switched its allegiance from al-Qaeda to the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS or Daesh) terrorist group and declared itself the Islamic State's West Africa Province.

Boko Haram's new leader, Abu Musab al-Barnawi, unveiled the militants' plans of attacking Christianization in the African country by killing Christians and burning down all churches.

"They strongly seek to Christianize the society ... They exploit the condition of those who are displaced under the raging war, providing them with food and shelter and then Christ.ianizing their children," SITE Intelligence Group quoted al-Barnawi as saying in an interview released Wednesday on IS' newspaper al-Nabaa, as reported by the Associated Press.

The Nigerian extremists also buoyed the Muslim Fulani herdsmen, the world's fourth most destructive terrorist group in 2015, on carrying out incessant attacks against Christian villagers that caused church leaders and human rights groups to express fears that the federal country might fall into civil war.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) advised Christians last month to "buckle up and be ready to defend themselves" as they criticize President Muhammadu Buhari's "lukewarm" response to the series of attacks against Christians.

A civil rights group also accused Buhari of running an Islamist government and even aiding the "ethno-religious cleansing" of Christians.