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Nigeria

  • Attack Kills Thirty-Six, Displaces Thousands

    In an unprovoked attack, Islamic militants attacked a predominantly Christian community in the village of Demsa, Adamawa in northern Nigeria.  According to a March 4 report by Compass Direct, thirty-six Christians were killed and their property destroyed when their community was attacked on February 4.  Those who survived, around 3000, have fled for refuge to the village of Mayolope in the neighbouring state of Taraba.

    A Muslim in Mayolope, Alhaji Saleh Jatau, told Compass that the militants do not have the support of the Muslim community when they attack Christians.  "I am appealing that the government should act quickly to end this conflict. We have lived in peace with Christians, but now some of us [Muslims] have decided to cause problems between us," Jatau told Compass.  The Christians taking refuge in Mayolope are refusing to return without a lasting solution from the government.

    Pray for government intervention and a solution to this on-going problem in various areas of Nigeria.  Pray that there will be a peaceful co-existence between Muslims and Christians.  Pray for peace for the families of those killed.

    For more information on the difficulties facing Christians in Nigeria,click here.
  • Threats of Death Against Expelled Students
    Students at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University
    Militant Muslims have pronounced a death sentence on five Christians expelled from from schools in Nigeria in November.  Hanatu Haruna Alkali, Abraham Adamu Misal, Habakkuk Solomon, Hankuri Gaya, and a student identified as Uzochukwu were expelled by the authorities of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) and the Federal Polytechnic in Bauchi for sharing the gospel with Muslim students.

    Since then, the students have been facing threats from Muslims.  The families of two of the students, Alkali and Misal, were attacked on January 26 when militant groups went to the family homes in the state of Gombe in northern Nigeria with the intent of killing them.  According to a February 3 report from Compass Direct, Alkali was not at home when the family was held at gunpoint.  Her father wrestled the gun from the hand of one of them, but one of the other militants stabbed her mother.  Both Alkali and Misal are now in hiding.  The whereabouts of the other three students are unknown at this time.

    Muslim leaders in Bauchi support the death pronouncements, saying that Muslims must be prepared to defend their religion.

    Pray for safety for these five students and other Christians under threat in Nigeria.  Pray for their families and for a quick recovery for Alkali's mother.

    For more information on persecution facing Christians in Nigeria,click here.
  • Christian Leader Killed in Ambush
    Funeral for Davou Bulle
    Mary Bulle following the attack

    Some of the bullets removed

    Just weeks after the Nigerian government lifted a six-month state of emergency in the central Nigerian Plateau state, Muslim militants ambushed a Christian leader and his family in the village of Ganna Ropp on December 29.  Davou Bulle died and his wife and son were injured.

    Following the killing, a VOM contact visited the family to ascertain what happened.  According to his sister, Davou had been facing on-going harassment from a Muslim man, Alhaji Gambo, who owned a neighbouring farm.  As Davou and his family were returning home after a day's work on their farm, Gambo and his sons ambushed them.  They first shot the tires of the van and then began to shoot at the Bulle family, killing Davou and injuring his wife, Mary, and son, Gyan.  Mary lost one eye and, at last report, remained in hospital in Jos.  Gyan attempted to protect his father and was shot fourteen times.  Gyan miraculously is recovering in hospital.  Several arrests have been made, including Alhaji Gambo and two of his sons. 

    Pray for the physical recovery of Mary and Gyan.  Pray for peace and inner healing for family and friends grieving their loss.  Pray that religious violence will not increase in Plateau state and that Christians will not retaliate for this attack.  In May 2004, Christian militias in Plateau state retaliated for attacks by Muslims, resulting in 300 deaths.  A six-month state of emergency was declared to quell the violence.

    For more information on the difficulties facing Christians in Nigeria,click here.
  • Christian Student Killed by Mob
    Students at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University
    Opposition to Christian evangelism has resulted in the death of a student at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University in the northern city of Bauchi, according to Compass Direct.  Earlier three students had been expelled for distributing a Christian tract.  In the early morning of December 9, Sunday Nache Achi was taken from his room by men dressed in jihad style clothing.  When Achi's roommate attempted to intervene, he was threatened at gunpoint and then locked in his room.  The next morning, Achi was found strangled to death next to a mosque, near the home of the university's vice-chancellor.  The office of the Nigeria Fellowship of Evangelical Students in Bauchi was also set on fire.

    Pray for comfort and peace for the family and friends of Sunday Achi.  Pray that those responsible for this crime will come to faith in Jesus Christ.

    For more information on the difficulties facing Christians in Nigeria,click here.  The Voice of the Martyrs has a seven-minute video report from Nigeria available on their multimedia website at www.vomcanada.com.  Registration is required, but membership is free.
  • Two Die in Attack on Evangelistic Team

    Ten heavily-armed Islamic militants attacked an evangelistic team in Dutse, the capital of the state of Jigawa in northern Nigeria on November 23 during an open-air evangelistic event.  According to Compass Direct, the New Life For All evangelistic team was leaving for street evangelism when they were attacked.  Fighting then broke out between the militants and moderate Muslims objecting to the attack on the evangelists.  Police intervened and ten militants were arrested.  However, two people died in the attack and twenty were injured.  One of those who died was a militant; the identity of the other is unknown at this time.

    Violence against Christians is not rare in Dutse.  In March 2003, three churches and a hotel were destroyed (click here for details).  Pray that violence against Christians will cease in Nigeria .  Thank God that some Muslims in Nigeria were willing to stand up for the religious freedoms of others.  Pray that this will grow.

    For more information on the opposition facing Christians in Nigeria ,click here.
  • Islamic Sect in Nigeria Attacks Christian Villagers

    A militant Islamic sect, which has been terrorizing Christians in northern Nigeria for several months, attacked numerous villages on September 20, burning homes, killing a number of people, including four police officers, and kidnapping seven Christians. According to the September 27 report from Compass Direct, the group known as the Talibans attacked police stations in the towns of Bama and Gwoza, in Borno State. As they retreated, they burned several villages, raping, plundering and killing anyone they perceived as enemies of Islam. According to police, several of the militants were killed following the attacks and five have been arrested in neighbouring Cameroon.

    Pray for safety for Christians in Nigeria, facing such attacks. Pray that the authorities will be able to stop these groups. Pray for peace in Nigeria.

    For more information on persecution in Nigeria,click here. Go to the Video section of VOM's multimedia website, www.vomcanada.com, to view video reports on Nigeria and other countries around the world.
  • 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.

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