By Masara Kim
On that fateful morning of September 11, 2001, Judd Saul was in his Orlando home, watching in disbelief as the World Trade Center towers crumbled on live TV. A 22-year-old film student at Full Sail University, Saul was 1,403 miles away from his Cedar Falls hometown in Iowa, experiencing the devastating attack that would change America forever. As the nation reeled in shock, Saul felt a sense of helplessness wash over him. But little did he know, that moment was preparing him for a critical mission 6,500 miles away in Nigeria, where 18 years later he would help victims of the same ideology that attacked his country.
As the reality of the attack sank in, Saul and his roommates were glued to the TV, watching in horror as the towers crumbled and the Pentagon was hit. The streets of Orlando, normally bustling with tourists and students, were eerily empty. The usually vibrant Disney World was deserted, its magic and excitement replaced by an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty.
For Saul, the attack was a wake-up call. He had always taken his freedom and security for granted, but now he felt vulnerable and powerless. As he watched the events unfold, he couldn’t help but wonder if he was safe, if his family was safe, and if the world would ever be the same again.
At the same exact time 6,500 miles away in Nigeria, a mass terrorists invasion of a Christian town was ongoing 35 miles south of Jos, the capital of Plateau State. The once peaceful town of Rankum was now a scene of utter devastation, with burning buildings and bodies littering the streets. The Fulani speaking attackers shouting “Allahu Akhbar” according to witnesses showed no mercy, slaughtering innocent men, women, and children.
Meanwhile, Rev. Bright McTitus, an Anglican pastor in Jos, lay on the floor of an overflowed mortuary, his life hanging by a thread. Miraculously, he was discovered alive and revived three days later, but the trauma of his ordeal would stay with him forever.
Hours prior on the afternoon of September 11 in Nigeria, McTitus fell victim to an ongoing Muslim violence that had killed over 1,000 Christians since September 7 according to media reports.
The riots started on September 7 after a Christian woman reportedly passed through a barricaded street during Islamic prayers.
As the terrorists ravaged Rankum, survivors fled in terror, seeking refuge in nearby forests and hills.
“They came in large numbers, shooting and burning houses,” Samuel Jugu, the mayor of Rankum at the time told TruthNigeria. “Two of my family members were killed and those of us who survived fled to the surrounding villages,” Jugu said.
Solomon Dalyop, a respected rights attorney in Jos was at the time a student in the university of Jos studying for his bachelors degree in law. From his hometown in Jol located 2miles from Rankum, he saw thick smoke rising from Rankum and recalls receiving dozens of escaping residents into his family residence.
While authorities instantly took charge of the attacks in the U.S., deploying thousands of guards with machine guns at airports and major cities, the Nigerian victims were left to fend for themselves.
“The town was immediately taken over by the Fulani who attacked it and has remained a no-go area for Christians to this day,” Dalyop told TruthNigeria.
Dalyop, who also serves as the leader of the Berom ethnicity which dominates the area claims the town, now renamed Mahanga has served as a staging ground for more attacks in the country’s middle belt region. According to him, Mahanga has played a role in the capture of over 200 Chistian villages in Plateau state alone by June 2024.
A member of the Plateau State Legislature, Moses Don agrees.
“It is unfortunate it is continuing unabated,” said Mr. Don to TruthNigeria. “Nobody is above the law,” said Don who represents Riyom at the state assembly house. “But I can take you to many of the communities the Fulani are still occupying, and nobody is saying anything,” Don said.
The terrorists invasion of Rankum was overshadowed by the sensational attacks in the United States. Fast forward 18 years later when the news of the ongoing massacres reached Saul, now an evangelical missionary and political activist in Iowa, he felt a sense of outrage and helplessness. He couldn’t believe that such atrocities were being committed against innocent people, including babies. The events of 9/11 had shaken him, but now, he felt a personal connection to the suffering in Nigeria.
Saul’s heart went out to the victims and their families, and he knew he had to do something. He began to pray fervently, seeking guidance and strength. And as he prayed, a sense of purpose began to emerge. He knew that he had to go to Nigeria, to stand with the persecuted Christians, and to help them in any way he could.
Little did Saul know that his journey would take him into the heart of darkness, where he would face unimaginable dangers and challenges. But he was ready to risk everything to serve the Lord and to bring hope to those who had lost everything.
As Americans commemorated the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Saul reflected on his journey to Nigeria, where he has helped over 400,000 victims of persecution through his Iowa-based nonprofit Equipping the Persecuted Initiative. Despite criticism that he has ignored homelessness in the US, Saul stands firm in his mission to support displaced communities in Nigeria with food aid, shelters, medical subsidies, and empowerment programs.
Saul’s passion for Nigeria stems from his belief that God led him there to serve his persecuted brothers and sisters. He criticizes those who merely talk about the problem without taking action. “I got tired of empty political suits and do-nothing political pundits profiting from the problem instead of helping people in need,” he says.
Saul argues that the issue is educational, highlighting the stark contrast between poverty in the US and Nigeria. “Americans are extremely blessed, but they have no idea how the rest of the world lives,” he notes. “Our poor have cars, running water, power, heating, and internet. We have 24/7 emergency services, police, ambulances, and fire departments. Americans don’t know what poverty is.”
Saul’s message is clear: he is committed to serving the persecuted in Nigeria, and he believes that Americans need to understand the reality of poverty and insecurity in other parts of the world.
Masara Kim is a conflict reporter in Jos and the senior editor of TruthNigeria.
