Reporter: IT WAS A
BEAUTIFUL DAY.
WE CAME TO CHURCH TO
CELEBRATE THE BIRTH OF JESUS
CHRIST.
PEOPLE STARTED COMING AS
EARLY AS 6:00 IN THE
MORNING.
IT WAS GOING TO BE A JOYOUS
OCCASION.
[SIRENSIRENS]
Reporter: BUT IT NEVER
TURNED OUT THAT WAY.
A SUICIDE BOMBER IN A
VEHICLE PACKED WITH
EXPLOSIVES DROVE UP THIS
BUSY STREET AND STOPPED IN
FRONT OF THE CHURCH.
HE AND HIS 17-MONTH-OLD SON
HAD JUST WALKED OUT THE
CHURCH FRONT DOORS WHEN THE
BOMB EXPLODED.
THE EXPLOSION THREW ME
BACK AND MY SON WAS HURTLED
TO THE OTHER SIDE.
AROUND ME, I COULD SEE
BODIES ON FIRE.
Reporter: WITHIN
MINUTES, HUSBANDS BECAME
WIDOWERS, WIVES BECAME
WIDOWS, AND CHILDREN'S
BECAME ORPHANS, AND PARENTS
WERE CHILDLESS.
Reporter: THE SUICIDE
BOMBER KNEW PRECISELY WHEN
TO STRIKE.
IT WAS SHORTLY AFTER 8:00
THAT CHRISTMAS MORNING AS
ONE SERVICE WAS JUST
CONCLUDING AND THE NEXT ONE
WAS ABOUT TO BEGIN.
26 OF THE 44 PEOPLE WHO DIED
THAT DAY ATTENDED SAINT
TERESA'S CHURCH.
THE PEOPLE WHO CARRIED
OUT THIS ATTACK HAVE ONLY
EVIL IN THEIR HEART.
Reporter: THE BOKO
HARAM CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY
FOR THIS AND OTHER ATTACKS
IN PARTS OF NIGERIA THAT
DAY.
BOKO HARAM'S GOAL IS TO TURN
AFRICA'S MOST POPULAR NATION
INTO AN ISLAMIC NATION.
IF THEY ARE TRYING TO GET
ME TO RESPOND OUT OF ANGER,
I WILL NOT.
Reporter: HE AND HIS
SON SPENT SEVERAL WEEKS IN
THE HOSPITAL, RECOVERING
FROM THIRD DEGREE BURNS.
TODAY YOU'LL FIND HIM AND
HIS FAMILY PRAYING FOR THEIR
ATTACKERS.
I WANT GOD TO TOUCH THEIR
HEARTS SO THEY WILL KNOW
THAT WHAT THEY ARE DOING IS
NOT GOOD.
Reporter: A SENTIMENT
ECHOED IN FATHER ARCHIE'S
SERMONS ABOUT THE PERSONS OF
FORGIVENESS.
I HAVE PERSONALLY
FORGIVEN THEM, BUT WHAT I
NEED FROM BOKO HARAM IS THEY
REPENT AND TO STOP DOING
THIS.
Reporter: BOKO HARAM
STRUCK 21 TIMES, AND 900
PLUS HAVE DIED IN RECENT
MONTHS IN MULTIPLE ATTACKS
AROUND THE COUNTRY.
200 MILES NORTH OF
STE.THERESEA'S CHURCH --
SO MANY PEOPLE LOVED MY
HUSBAND.
THEY WOULD NOT LET ME SEE
MY FATHER'S BODY.
HE WAS BEYOND RECOGNITION.
Reporter: MARGARET?
HE WAS SHOT IN THE MOUTH
AND THE ELBOW AND THE BACK.
I AM ASKING GOD TO BRING
PEACE TO OUR CITY.
Reporter: BLANKETING
NORTHERN NIGERIA'S MOST
IMPORTANT CITY OF CANO WITH
PRAYER.
ON JANUARY 20th, 26 DAYS
AFTER THE CHRISTMAS DAY
MASSACRE, BOKO HARAM KILLED
185 PEOPLE IN A STRING OF
COORDINATED ATTACKS IN
CANO.
IT WAS THE GROUP'S DEADLY
STRIKE TO DATE.
AMONG THE DEAD WERE THE
LOVED ONES OF THESE
CHRISTIAN FAMILIES.
I CAN'T DO ANYTHING TO
BRING MY HUSBAND BACK.
ALL I CAN DO IS TRUST IN
GOD.
THE BIBLE SAYS WE SHOULD
LOVE OUR ENEMIES AND PRAY
FOR THEM.
Reporter: A BOKO
HARAM'S SPOKESMAN HAS
DECLARED WAR ON NIGERIA'S
GOVERNMENT, THE SECURITY
SERVICES, AND THE COUNTRY'S
CHRISTIANS.
IN A VIDEO RELEASED ON LINE,
HE SAYS, "I ENJOY KILLING
ANYONE THAT GOD COMMANDS ME
TO KILL, THE WAY I ENJOY
KILLING CHICKENS AND RAM."
IN JANUARY, THEY GAVE THE
GROUP THREE DAYS TO LEAVE.
THE CHRISTIANS ARE VS VERY
MUCH ON EDGE.
MANY ARE CONSIDERING THE
IDEA OF LEAVING THE STATE
AND MOVING SOUTH.
WE SPOKE TO SOME OF THEM WHO
ARE VERY FEARFUL AND
CONCERNED THAT THE SECURITY
APPARATUS IS NOT IN A
POSITION TO PROTECT THEM.
NIGERIA IS EVENLY SPLIT
BETWEEN CHRISTIANS IN THE
SOUTH AND MUSLIMS IN THE
NORTH.
CANO IS OVERWHELMING
MUSLIM.
EXTREMIST GROUPS CONTINUALLY
USE THIS AREA AND THE
SURROUNDING AREAS AS A BASE
OF OPERATION.
IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT
TO SHARE THE GOSPEL IN THE
NORTHERN PARTS OF NIGERIA.
Reporter: CBN NEWS
AGREED TO CONCEAL HIS
IDENTITY TO PROTECT HIM.
HE SAYS THE INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE HERE CONSIDER
CHRISTIANS AS INVADERS.
I WAS BORN AND RAISED
HERE, BUT BECAUSE I'M AN
CHRISTIAN, I'M VIEWED AS A
SECOND, THIRD, OR FOURTH
CLASS CITIZEN.
Reporter: HE FEARS BOKO
HARAM IS TRYING TO PROVOKE A
RELIGIOUS WAR.
SOME ARE TAKING MEASURES TO
DEFEND THEMSELVES.
OTHERS RELY ON GOD FOR
PROTECTION AND TAKE COMFORT
IN HIS WORD.
EVEN WHEN I WALK THROUGH
THE VALLEY OF DEATH, I WILL
NOT BE AFRAID, FOR YOU ARE
CLOSE BESIDE ME.
Reporter: GEORGE
THOMAS, CBN NEWS, CANO,
NIGERIA.
