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Charity Foundation Relocates Children Displaced after Torching of Nigerian Orphanage

A man stands outside a building rented in Jos, Nigeria by Religious Freedom Coalition for children left homeless after Fulani herdsmen torched their orphanage in Miango, within Nigeria's Plateau State. Credit: Religious Freedom Coalition

Religious Freedom Coalition, an international non-profit religious organization, which assists persecuted Christians in various areas of the world, has announced the relocation of young children who were left homeless after their orphanage was burnt down by armed Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria’s Plateau State.

In a latest report, the organization’s President, William Murray, says that he had wired a donation towards renting temporary shelter for the children for a period of one year.

“The Religious Freedom Coalition has transferred funds to Nigeria to rent a 15 room building as a dorm for the younger children displaced after the orphanage in Miango was destroyed by Sunni Muslim Fulani herdsmen,” Mr. Murray says in the Wednesday, August 18 report.

He adds, in reference to the rented space, “The building is within Jos City and is about 30 kilometers from where the orphanage was located in Miango. I authorized the rent to be paid for one full year in advance.”

In a report earlier this month, Mr. Murray narrated that the orphanage that is supported by the religious entity was one of the institutions that were burnt down on August 2 as Fulani herdsmen wreaked havoc in the villages of Miango District in Nigeria’s Plateau State.

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“The Christians Orphanage in Miango, Nigeria has been attacked by Sunni Muslim Fulani herdsmen… I just learnt of this today,” Mr. Murray said in his video recording published August 5.

He added, “225 homes were destroyed in the area as the Fulani drove off Christians from their farms, from their homes, from their businesses and along the way, they invaded the orphanage and destroyed the home of 147 children who had previously been orphaned in other attacks by the Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen.”

“This is a disaster of tremendous proportions for these children,” the official further said, and added in reference to the children, “Many of them have been in the orphanage from when they were just five or six years old and now, they are in their teens.”

In the August 18 report, Mr. Murray notes that the building rented by the Religious organization will house 100 of the 147 children that had been left homeless after their orphanage was destroyed.

The rented space is a temporary solution, the official says, and adds, “Other housing is being arranged for the older children.”

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He further says that to save funds, the metal bed frames from the burned-out dorm buildings at the Miango orphanage are being salvaged.

“The frames are being cleaned and will be moved to the new building,” he says, and adds, “The orphanage director is now working on obtaining new mattresses. Meanwhile the students are in temporary housing in homes in Jos city.”

As persecution of Christians increases in Nigeria, the Religious Freedom Coalition, which informs the American public about the persecution Christians face around the world has begun to bring assistance to suffering Christians in the West African country.

The Religious Freedom Coalition assists an orphanage for Christian children who lost parents to Islamic terror attacks.

Programs at the orphanage have included new wells, water towers and sanitation systems as well as the leasing of land for a farm.

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Sanitary products are also distributed as humanitarian aid in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Information provided on the coalition’s website indicates that tens of thousands of Christian farmers have been forced from their lands by Sunni Muslim Fulani herdsmen and now live in desperate situations.

“The Christians in Nigeria face worse persecution than anywhere else in the world!” the leadership of the Religious Freedom Coalition has indicated, adding, “Muslim Fulani herdsmen and the Boko Haram have murdered entire church congregations and attacked and burned villages across Southern Nigeria. Many Christian children are left orphaned because one or both of their parents were victims of these attacks.”

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), a UK-based human rights organization, has reported that at least 15 villages were destroyed, over 400 houses burnt down, including churches and an orphanage, around 20,000 people were displaced, and thousands of hectares of farm crops deliberately destroyed, in the spate of attacks on Bassa LGA.

The Religious Freedom Coalition has committed to partner with orphanages in Nigeria to provide a safe and healthy environment to show the love of Jesus to these children.

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Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor's Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communications from Kenya's Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.