US confers award on Imam who saved 200 Christians from insurgents in Plateau
- Imam Abubakar Abdullahi is getting all the accolades he deserves a the moment
- The 83-year old Imam hid 200 Christians from harm when suspected bandits stormed their community in Plateau state
- He is being recognised by the United States of America government for his selfless act
The United States of America government has conferred a religious freedom award on Imam Abubakar Abdullahi.
Abdullahi, 83, is the Islamic cleric who hid 200 Christians from suspected bandits in Barkin Ladi local government area of Plateau state last year.
A statement on the US Department of State website on Tuesday, July 17, revealed that Abdullahi would be receiving the award along with others from Cyprus, Sudan, Brazil and Iraq.
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Part of the statement read: “Imam Abdullai selflessly risked his own life to save members of another religious community, who would have likely been killed without his intervention.
“On June 23, 2018, ethnic Fulani herdsmen, who are predominantly Muslim, launched coordinated attacks on 10 villages in Barkin Ladi, killing hundreds of ethnic Berom farmers, who are predominantly Christian.
“As Imam Abdullahi was finishing midday prayers, he and his congregation heard gunshots and went outside to see members of the town’s Christian community fleeing. Instinctively, the Imam ushered 262 Christians into the mosque and his home next to the mosque.
“The Imam then went outside to confront the gunmen and he refused to allow them to enter, pleading with them to spare the Christians inside, even offering to sacrifice his life for theirs. Although the gunmen killed 84 people in Nghar village that day, Imam Abdullahi’s actions saved the lives of hundreds more.
“Imam Abdullahi’s courage in the face of imminent danger and his history of outreach across religious divides demonstrates his lifelong commitment to promoting interfaith understanding and peace.”
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Recall that Legit.ng had reported that the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington had awarded Abdullahi with Ambassador’s Peacemaker Award for Heroism at an interfaith dialogue organised in Abuja.
The Imam was honoured in the US through a ceremony organised by the State Department
Symington urged the world to emulate Abubakar’s act of brotherliness which he described as a virtue of kindness to promote global peace.
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Source: Legit.ng
