At least nine Christians were killed by Muslims in a series of violent attacks in the Tundun Wada region of Kano State, northern Nigeria on the weekend of September 28-29. According to an October 2 report from Christian Solitary Worldwide, local Muslims also burned churches and destroyed believers' homes and businesses. Although the exact cause for the rampage is not yet known, the violence reportedly began on Saturday morning when a group of Muslim students barged into a room shared by two Christian students at the local Government Secondary School and attacked the believers. When the school principal arrived on the scene, the Muslims claimed that these two had drawn a picture of Mohammed on a mosque wall and were planning an attack on Muslim students.
Authorities have removed all corpses in a likely attempt to obscure the true death toll. Local police have also sealed off the area and denied access to those seeking to provide assistance. Three pastors from the state capital were detained when they tried to evacuate members of their denomination. Three Christian members of the Nigerian Air Force who were accompanying them were also detained. The pastors have since been released on bail. The other three remain in custody.
Pray that Christians will rely on the Holy Spirit to comfort, strengthen and embolden them in the aftermath of this brutal attack. Pray that those who have lost loved ones will find peace in the fact that those who suffer with Christ will be glorified with Him (Romans 8:15-17). Pray that the three detained believers will be released.
For more information on persecution in Nigeria, go to the Nigeria Country Report.
This month's Persecution Report video report includes a feature on the persecution facing Nigerian believers. Go to our home page to view the report.
Population
