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Nigeria

• Police Stop Crusade to Prevent Violence

  Reinhard Bonnke

  In an attempt to stop violence from over-flowing in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, Nigeria, police moved in and stopped an evangelistic crusade after the first two days. The crusade by German evangelist, Reinhard Bonnke, was to run from August 18-22. However, a crowd of militant Muslim youths rioted in the streets, vowing to stop the meetings. Despite condemnation of the riots from Kwara's top Muslim Imam, the protests continued until police forced an end of the crusade on August 20. Christian leaders in Nigeria are accusing the government of pandering to these militant youths.

  Pray for the continued spread of the Gospel of Christ in Nigeria, despite opposition. For more information on the violence facing Christians in Nigeria,click here.

• New Sharia Laws Introduced in Zamfara State

  Governor Ahmed Sani

  Christians in Zamfara State in northern Nigeria face increasing concerns as new Sharia laws have been introduced, to be implemented soon. According to an April 28 report from BBC the laws would mandate that all businesses must shut down during the five daily Muslim prayers and that all "unauthorized" places of worship would be shut down. This would specifically cause many small churches to close. At the launch of "Sharia Phase 2," on April 29, the state governor, Ahmed Sani declared that all non-Islamic places of worship would soon be destroyed. This comes despite freedom of religion being enshrined in Nigeria's constitution.

  Pray for believers in Zamfara State, as they face these new challenges. Pray that they would continue to serve Christ without hesitation.

  For more information on the church in Nigeria,click here.

• At Least Nine Church Buildings Destroyed by Mob On April 3, a teenager, allegedly with a mental disability, entered an Islamic school in the village of Makarfi in Kaduna State, Nigeria and tore a copy of the Quran. Enraged, students and others around attacked the teenager, calling for his death. His mother managed to take him to the police station where officers refused to release him to the protesters. The Muslim youths then attacked the police station before burning down at least nine churches. No one was killed in these attacks.

  The state's Police Commissioner, Muhammed Yesufu, told Vanguard news that five people had been arrested with more to come. He said that the young man at the center of the controversy was in a coma. He claimed that "what happened had nothing to do with religious problems." However, Sam Kujiyat from the Christian Association of Nigeria claims that foreign-funded Islamic extremists were behind this and other recent attacks.

  n recent weeks, violence against Christians has erupted in the central state of Plateau, resulting in 1,500 Christians being killed and 173 church buildings destroyed. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has released the names of eight pastors killed. In the statement released by Compass on April 5, the CAN warned that it is becoming increasingly difficult to restrain Christians from retaliating.

  Pray for peace in Nigeria. Pray that the Spirit of God would give peace and patience to Christians to prevent an escalation of violence in the country. Pray that the Nigerian government will work to prevent Islamic militants from neighbouring countries from stirring up problems in Nigeria. Pray for the recovery of the young man at the center of the recent incident in Makarfi.

  For more information on Nigeria,click here.

• Church Buildings Burned by Mob

  Islamic militants burned at least three church buildings and a hotel on the evening of March 17, after a judge ordered a Muslim youth detained without bail when he failed to appear on charges of burning another church building.

  Two years ago, Alhaji Ibrahim Adamu sued the Living Faith Church in Dutse, the capital of the northern Nigerian state of Jigawa, accusing the church of disturbing the neighbourhood with its activities. At that time, it is alleged that Adamu attempted to burn down the church building. When his case came to court on March 17, Adamu refused to appear and the judge ordered his arrest.

  That same evening, other young Muslims in the community reacted to the arrest by burning church buildings in the town, including the Redeemed Christian Church, Calvary Church, and Living Faith Church, as well as a hotel, the Inland Guest Palace Hotel. Local Christians sought refuge at the state police headquarters. According to the state's commissioner of police, Alhaji Sale Abubakar the situation is now under control, no lives had been lost and no arrests have yet been made.

  Pray that those responsible for these actions will be held accountable. Pray that tensions between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria will not escalate due to this incident. Pray that Christians will respond with the love of Christ.

  For more information on the situation facing Christians in Nigeria,click here.

• Sharia Law to be Implemented Despite Turmoil

  The governor of Kano State, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, has reiterated that nothing will stop the full implementation of Sharia law in the state of Kano in northern Nigeria, despite pressure from within the state as well as outside pressure. This announcement came at a time when parts of northern Nigeria were in turmoil from a militant Islamic group attempting to establish an Taliban-like Islamic nation in the north-eastern state of Yobe.

  Christian Church in Kano

  The government says that the uprising which began on December 30 has been quelled. At least two police officers and six militants were killed and many were arrested as they attempted to flee to neighboring Niger. More than ten thousand people have fled their homes in fear. Also this week, Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo joined Christian and Muslim leaders in calling for peace and religious harmony in Nigeria.

  Pray that there might be peace in Nigeria and that attempts to institute Islamic law will fail. Pray that states such as Kano will revoke Sharia law, so that there might be full equality for all people in Nigeria.

  For more information on Nigeria, visithttps://www.vomcanada.com/nigeria.htm.

• Government Action Averts Christmas Attacks

   In the early morning of December 18, a combined team of army, air force and police raided a Muslim militant stronghold in the city of Jos, Nigeria in order to pre-empt attacks planned on Christians during the Christmas holidays. According to a December 30 report from Compass Direct, the Nigerian government ordered the raid after receiving reports that militants from Niger and Cameroon and come to join in attacks on Christians on Christmas Day.

  In the attack, five militants were killed and one hundred and seventy-five were arrested, including their leader, Mallam Ibrahim Mai-Mai. Some military and police personnel suffered gunshot and machete wounds in the attack. Mallam Mai-Mai ran an Islamic school, with three hundred students. It is believed that the school was used to train Islamic militants.

  Sources in Jos indicated to VOM in 2001 that foreign militants had been active in attacks on Christians in the city during the violence of September 2001 that left hundreds dead.

  In a December 20 broadcast on radio and television, Plateau Governor Joshua Dariye warned that patience with Islamic militants was running out and they would deal decisively with all those who threaten peace and order.

  
    
  For the past several years, the Christmas season has been a time of violence against Christians around the world. Praise God with us that this season has thus far been relatively calm in 2003, in part because of actions like that in Nigeria. Pray that Nigerian authorities will carry out their promises to enforce peace.

  For more information on persecution in Nigeria, click here.
   

• Churches and Shops Destroyed in Riot

  "During Ramadan people tend to be more devoted to God, more sensitive," the Muslim emir of Kazaure, Nigeria told Reuters. This was his response to a riot that destroyed all the churches in the northern Nigerian town of Kazaure, as well as numerous homes and shops.

  
  According to reports, at least twelve churches, over fifty shops, and several homes were burned to the ground when Muslim youths rioted on November 18 in response to a blasphemy case. The dispute began when a Christian student at Federal Government Girls College (FGGC) Kazaure was accused of insulting the Prophet Mohammad during a heated argument with her colleagues. A group of Muslims were not satisfied with the response of school authorities and protested, leading to the riot. Thankfully no one was killed, but scores of Christians have fled the town, fearing for their lives.

  Pray for peace between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria. Pray that Christians will be free to worship and that they will not respond aggressively to the violence against them. Pray for courage for Christian leaders and confidence that their lives are in God's hands.
   

• Public School Girls Ordered to Wear the Hijab

  On Friday, August 29, the Kano state government in northern Nigeria issued a directive making it compulsory for all girls attending schools run by the state government to wear the hijab Islamic headscarf, whether or not they are Muslim. Over one million Christians live in the state, which in June 2000 formally adopted strict Islamic or Sharia law but had previously hesitated to implement it. Changes were expected when Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, who campaigned on a platform that he would rigorously implement Sharia, defeated the incumbent governor in April state elections.

  Christians in the state are understandably upset over the directive. The directive only applies to school operated by the state government and not to private schools or schools run by the Nigerian Federal Government, which has openly criticized the formal adoption of Sharia law in the northern states.

  However, as the World Evangelical Alliance notes, "Considering that the Kano state government has closed virtually all Kano's Christian schools, Christian families are not going to have much choice. Christian schools are closed in Kano on the grounds that they do not meet state mandated standards. The education standards, however, include the mandate that all schools (Christian schools included) must employ Islamic clerics to indoctrinate the children in Islam. Those schools that refuse are closed." (World Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty News & Analysis, September 10).

  Pray for the Christians of Kano state during this tense time. Pray that the concerns expressed by the Christians will not escalate into violence as it has on occasion in the past. Pray for the young women who will be subjected to this form of religious discrimination. Pray that the church in Kano state will glorify God by staying faithful to His teachings regardless of the uncertainties that they increasingly face.

• Increased Persecution Feared Due to Controversial Bishop

  As many conservative Christians in North America struggle to come to grips with the latest decision of the U.S. Episcopal Church in appointing an openly homosexual bishop, Christians in other areas of the world fear the repercussions that could come from Muslims around them. In an August 7 article in CNSNews.com, the Anglican bishop of Owerri in Nigeria, Cyril Okoracha, said African Christians would face "severe persecution [from] our Muslim neighbors because they keep accusing us of maintaining relationships with those who deny the Scripture."

  Christians in Islamic countries often face opposition because of western clothing styles, consumption of alcohol, and the ethical behaviour promoted by the "Christian" west. With an openly homosexual bishop in a Christian church, Muslims may well see one more reason to actively oppose Christians, justifying it as a way of preventing sinful behaviour in their country.

  Pray for wisdom for Christians throughout the world as they address this issue with their Muslim neighbours. Pray that God will give them the words to say to disarm the opposition and be able to share the truth of the Gospel of Christ.

• Pastor and Family Burned to Death

  A pastor, along with six members of his family, died in a fire in the northern Nigerian city of Kano which Christian leaders suspect was deliberately set. The only survivor was his son, Daniel, who remains in critical condition. According to a May 6 report from Compass Direct, Pastor Madumere and his family were asleep in their home on April 22 when it was engulfed by flames. While police authorities say the fire may have been caused by an electrical fault, Christian leaders have ruled out that theory, insisting that the pastor and his family were victims of religious intolerance. Pastor Madumere was known for his powerful preaching and many Muslims in Kano had converted to Christianity through his ministry, angering Muslim militants in the city.

  In speaking about the incident, Bishop Nyam of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, said, "We are not surprised at all about this incident.... We saw it coming."

  For several years militant Muslims having been carrying out a jihad against Christians in northern and central Nigeria. Hundreds of Christians have been killed and homes, churches and businesses destroyed. Representatives from The Voice of the Martyrs recently visited Christian brothers and sisters in Nigeria who have been brutalized for their faith. Greg Musselman from VOM Canada visited hospitals in Nigeria's Plateau state where he saw women, men, and children with bullet wounds and deep slash marks on their necks and heads inflicted by machete-wielding attackers. Despite this suffering, however, Musselman also witnessed how they were committing themselves to God's care. The Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter will have a special feature on the suffering and faith of believers in Nigeria in an upcoming edition this summer. For a free subscription to this publication, visit https://www.vomcanada.com/nlonline.htm.

  Pray for a full recovery for Daniel as well as healing emotional scars with the loss of his family. Pray for members of Pastor Madumere's church as they deal with this tragedy.