PLATEAU, Nigeria — A pastor of the Church of Christ in Nigeria and 48 members of his church were among the 200 people killed in a recent outbreak of religious violence that engulfed the central Nigerian state of Plateau. Pastor Samson Bukar and the other victims, who had run to the church to take refuge from Muslim gangs rampaging through the town of Yelwa, died Feb. 23.
Plateau, a predominantly Christian state recognized as the outpost of missionary activity to northern Nigeria, has experienced Muslim-Christian conflict for three years, resulting in the deaths of thousands and the displacement of tens of thousands more. In a March 2 television and radio broadcast, Plateau governor Joshua Dariye said that Muslim mercenaries from the republics of Chad and Niger participated in the attacks.
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