Chibok Girls: God chose the weak to shame the strong
What kind of person is most likely to survive prolonged extreme physical and psychological pressures? You would think that a young, fit, spiritually mature and stable man, with military or outdoor training and some medical skills would make the best chance. What chance would a group of teenage schoolgirls from a poor and illiterate background have? When writing about children
Continue ReadingISIS and China Gain Influence in Africa
It is being reported that Boko Haram’s leader Abubakar Shekau is dead. He blew himself up after refusing surrender to warriors of ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province), a rival terrorist group and ISIS affiliate, who were chasing him. Both Boko Haram and ISWAP have been terrorizing Northern Nigeria for many years. As well as killing, looting, and kidnapping civilians,
Continue ReadingProtests in Nigeria
It was another sad week for Nigeria’s Middle Belt. In Kaduna State, an Assemblies of God church was burnt down, and eight Christians were killed by ‘bandits’ on Wednesday. Many of the attacks on Christians are blamed on bandits. This makes it look like a crime problem instead of a problem of the growing influence of Islamic extremism. The government
Continue ReadingAn Eighteenth Birthday Event for a Girl Who Can’t Celebrate
Today Leah Sharibu turns eighteen in a Boko Haram terrorist camp. PSJUK, an organisation of Nigerians in the UK, is organising a birthday event in her honour. There will be ‘performances, poetry and prayer’. This is what they write about their reasons for marking this special day: “Whilst the world looks to freedom post-pandemic, Leah Sahribu remains locked down in
Continue ReadingSchools Close in Nigeria, But Not Because of Covid
Parents want their children to be safe and have a successful future. But what do you do if you have to choose between your child’s safety and education? Many parents in Nigeria are faced with school closures. Not because of Covid, or even because of school shootings, but because of mass abductions by terror groups and bandits. Hundreds of children
Continue ReadingA Deadly Cocktail in Northern Nigeria
Are Christians really persecuted in Nigeria? If you have followed our recent reporting about the situation in Nigeria, this may seem a strange question. But authorities in Nigeria itself do not readily agree there is a problem with religious persecution. Open Doors recently called Nigeria a persecution hotspot. Deaths due to Islamic terrorism were up 60% last year and nearly
Continue ReadingPRAISE GOD! Pastor Bulus Yakuru Released on Execution Day
Today, we thank God with the church of Nigeria that Pastor Yakuru was released instead of executed on the day the ultimatum, which Boko Haram had set, ran out. Many feared that this case would end like previous ones, where pastors had lost their lives. But, by God’s grace his life was spared and he is now in a secure
Continue ReadingWednesday Ultimatum for Pastor Abducted by Boko Haram
Your prayers are once again urgently needed on behalf of the church in Nigeria. Pastor Bulus Yakuru was kidnapped by Boko Haram two months ago, in a Christmas Eve attack on a Christian village near Chibok. Seven people were killed and Pastor Yakuru was taken alive. His captors have now set an ultimatum for this Wednesday. If the government does
Continue ReadingTerrorists on the move in Nigeria
Last Saturday, Boko Haram showed the world once again that Islamist extremism is not just a religious issue. Yes, Christians have been targeted over and over by the blood thirsty militias operating in Northern Nigeria. But targeting day labourers for hurting their pride is not beneath them. A group of labourers gathering the rice harvest in Borno state in the
Continue ReadingThe Nigerian church, attacked from three sides
To help us pray effectively for our brothers and sisters in Nigeria, it is important to have a basic understanding of their situation. This article is a very brief overview of the situation in Nigeria and why Christians there are facing trouble. Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa and has over 200 million people, about two thirds of
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