Pastor Zacheous Habu Bu Ngwenche has been given until the end of December to free a convert from Islam he is accused of kidnapping. Otherwise, he could face police detention, even though it is well known that Muslims have kidnapped him.
According to a December 12 report from Compass Direct, the Nigerian pastor has been assisting Bature Suleimanu Idi in hiding from Muslims who have kidnapped him twice in an attempt to force him to return to Islam. After Idi was first kidnapped by Muslims in September, they accused Pastor Zacheous of forcibly converting him. However, police determined that Idi had voluntarily converted and released them. A few days later, Idi was again abducted by Muslims. When Ngwenche reported the incident to the police, he was detained for seven days until fellow Christians were able to raise the money for his bail. Idi remains in captivity and Ngwenche is facing detention for the kidnapping.
Pray that the truth will prevail in this case. Pray that Pastor Zacheous will have Christ's love for the Muslims in his area that so deeply need the love of Christ. Pray that he will know the blessings that Christ promised for those who are falsely accused for His sake. Ask God to fill him with peace as he faces his accusers and that all accusations will be dropped. Pray that Idi will grow quickly in his faith, that he would have the strength to stand firm in the face of persecution and that he will soon be released.
The Voice of the Martyrs Canada has recently begun producing one-minute news videos called "Overcomers TV" which includes one feature this month from Nigeria. A new video feature on Nigeria has also been released this month by VOMC. Both features are available on the multimedia website, https://www.vomcanada.com/. For further information on the difficulties facing Christians in Nigeria, click here.
(Source: Compass Direct)
On December 3, members of the militant Hindu organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) attacked a pastor in Hyderabad, India. While Pastor Yesupadam was conducting a prayer service in the village of Ashaiah Nagar, someone called for him to come out. Thinking they were calling him outside to pray for them, he approached seven men who began to beat him. The Hindu militants then took him to the police station where approximately twenty other RSS members were waiting. Handing Yesupadam over to the police, the RSS accused him of converting Hindus to Christianity. The police sub-inspector said that Christians had become a serious headache. Mocking Yesupadam, the police officer said, "Did your mother conceive you through an English man or Telugu man? Are you a Telugu man? Are you an Indian? If you desire to live, stop preaching about Jesus Christ. You know people are killing pastors in the city but still you do not learn anything." In the presence of the police, the RSS members attempted to apply a tilak, a mark of Hindu devotion, on Yesupadam's forehead. When he refused, they threatened to kill him and harm his family. The police did nothing in response to these threats. When other Christians arrived to help him, they were refused entry into the police station and were threatened with death if they did not stop praying.
