Christians in the predominately Christian village of Mazzah, near the city of Jos, were attacked on July 17. The attack resulted in the killing of eight people and the burning seven houses and a church building.

At approximately 1:30 a.m., Muslims entered the village and began shooting sporadically in the air to lure sleeping residents outside their homes. They then attacked people with machetes, including children. Seven were killed instantly, while another died on the way to the hospital. Three others were seriously injured.

During the attack, Reverend Nuhu Dawat of the Church of Christ in Nigeria escaped with one of his children, but his wife and two other children were killed. His grandson, Nanfa, was shot in the foot, thrown in a bathroom and left to die. Fortunately, he was found by the police and taken to hospital, where he is recuperating well.

Villagers claim that although the security forces were called and arrived in time to quell the violence, they waited until the attack had ended before entering Mazah. The area is currently reported to be "quiet but tense." Some residents have fled the area in fear of further violence. (Source: The Voice of the Martyrs, Canada)