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Nigeria

• Christians killed, injured

  Debris from an earlier suicide bombing in Nigeria

  On April 29, believers worshipping at Bayero University in the northern city of Kano, Nigeria, were targeted by militants from Boko Haram. The jihadists attacked the open-air service held outside the faculty of medicine, throwing explosive devices amongst the worshippers then chasing and shooting believers as they fled. They also attacked a worship service being held in the sporting complex, again throwing explosive devices amongst the believers who were then chased and gunned down as they ran away. Twenty-one people were killed and more than 20 were treated in hospital for gunshot wounds.

  In an almost simultaneous attack, six Boko Haram gunmen burst into a chapel in the northeast city of Maiduguri, spraying bullets throughout the sanctuary. The pastor and three others who were preparing to serve communion were killed, while others were injured.

  Ask God to surround those who are grieving with His love, peace, and comfort. Pray that the perpetrators of this violence will repent and turn to Jesus Christ. Pray that Christians in Nigeria will keep their eyes on Jesus, persevere in their faith, and not grow weary or lose heart (Hebrews 10:32-39; Hebrews 12:1-3).

  Go to the Nigeria Country Report for more on Nigeria's persecuted Church.

• Suicide bomber targets churches in Kaduna

  Debris from a recent suicide bombing in Nigeria.

  Churches celebrating Easter services were the targets of a suicide bomber who killed at least 38 people on April 8 in Kaduna city in northern Nigeria. Security personnel at one of the church buildings blocked the bomber, believed to belong to the Boko Haram Islamic sect, who then detonated his explosives in the street. Dozens of people were injured in addition to those killed. The bombs damaged the buildings of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) Good News church and the All Nations Christian Assembly, besides blasting off roofs from homes and hotels and destroying vehicles. Located on the same street, Gwari Road, are the Redeemed Christian Church of God and an Assemblies of God church.

  Luka Binniyat, a Christian resident of the city, told Compass that law enforcement agents believed the ECWA church was the primary target. "Richard Markus, a detective, mentioned that the bomber's main target was the ECWA Good News church a few metres from the scene of the bomb blast," Binniyat said. "He tried forcing his way past, but the security man stood in between him and the blockade. He even pushed him a ways before some policemen manning the gate of the church rushed down to the scene."

  Boko Haram has targeted state offices, law enforcement sites and some moderate mosques in its effort to destabilize the government and impose a strict version of sharia (Islamic law) on all of Nigeria, but Kaduna resident Stanley Yakubu said that Christians are one of its main targets. "The truth is that there is a deliberate effort to silence or eliminate the Christians in the north," he said.

  Please pray for those who are grieving. Pray that, as sufferings overflow, their comfort in Christ will be more than enough for them (2 Corinthians 1:5). Pray God will provide medical assistance to the injured and give them the grace to overcome their physical and emotional afflictions. Pray for members of Boko Haram; may the Holy Spirit convict them of sin and guilt and bring them to full repentance.

  For more information on persecution in Nigeria, go to the Nigeria Country Report.

• Suicide bombers attack church

  Emergency workers carry away the body of one killed in the recent suicide bombing in Jos, Nigeria. Photo: Compass Direct News

  A suicide bomber has killed eight people, including two boys and an expectant mother, after detonating an explosive device just outside a church in Nigeria. The car bomb that was detonated outside the gate of St. Finbarr's Catholic Church on March 11 could be heard up to two kilometres away, shattering the glass in buildings within a 200-metre radius. It is believed the attacks are the work of Boko Haram, an Islamic extremist group that seeks to impose a strict version of Shariah (Islamic law) in Nigeria.

  The bombing has led to outbreaks of more violence, and some state health and police sources have reported unconfirmed "reprisal" attacks against Muslims. Witnesses have also reported additional deaths of Christians at the hands of military personnel. Some sources said soldiers killed four Christians when they were confronted about how the car containing the bomb had made it past security.

  This is the second such bombing in the Christian community of Jos in Plateau State in recent weeks. An earlier bombing at a church in late February killed several people (for more information, click here).

  Please pray that those mourning the loss of loved ones will find comfort in Christ. Pray for a peace that surpasses all understanding for those living amidst the ensuing violence. Pray that God will give Nigerian Christians the patience to entrust true justice into the hands of God (Romans 12:17-21).

  For more on the persecuted Church in Nigeria, go to the Nigeria Country Report.

• Extremist group plots to 'end the Christian presence' in northern Nigeria

  A recent bombing in Jos is part of an effort to “end the Christian presence” in Nigeria.

  The al-Qaeda linked Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram has declared it is plotting to "end the Christian presence" in much of northern Nigeria. According to a spokesman, the group is preparing to launch a campaign of terror against Christians through kidnapping Christian women and coordinated bombings. The women reportedly will be held for ransom and returned only to Christian families who leave the region. The goal is to eradicate Christians completely so that a "proper Islamic state" might be established. The authorities say Boko Haram is well armed with sophisticated weaponry and munitions. This new threat against Christians is very direct and indicates very dangerous days lie ahead.

  Please pray the Lord will protect and deliver believers in northern Nigeria. Pray He will frustrate the plans of the enemy and though His mercy bring many to repentance. Pray that Christians in Nigeria will not be fearful but trust God (Revelation 2:10).

  Visit the Nigeria Country Report for more information on Nigeria's persecuted Church.

• Four Christians killed in bomb attack in Jos

  Debris of the car engine used in the attack.

  Four Christians died and over 50 more were injured after a car bomb exploded at the Church of Christ in Nigeria headquarters on February 26 in Jos, Plateau state. The Sunday morning worship service had just started when two suicide bombers detonated their explosives. One of the bombers was killed, while the other was later apprehended. The Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the attack, which sparked violent reprisals in which two Muslims were killed.

  Boko Haram, which models itself on the Taliban, aims to impose radical Islamic law in Nigeria, including a more extreme form of Shariah in the north. To achieve this, observers believe the militants are attempting to destabilize relations between Christians and Muslims. The group has been stepping up attacks against the Christian minority in the north and has ordered Christians to leave. At the same time, the militants have been targeting Jos, the dividing line between the mainly Muslim north and the predominantly Christian south.

  Please pray that Christians in Nigeria will remain faithful to God, even in the midst of unrest. Pray the Lord will give those affected by the violence the desire and strength to forgive their attackers. Pray for those who are grieving. Pray the Lord will reach many in Nigeria with the truth of the gospel so they may repent and believe.

  For more on the persecuted Church in Nigeria, go to the Nigeria Country Report.

• Update: Attack sparks revival

  A wounded Nigerian in one of the many attacks by Boko Haram Photo: Compass Direct News

  Increasing violence in Nigeria has only strengthened local Christians' faith, even sparking a revival at the Deeper Life Bible Church in Gombe, where nine Christians were martyred in a January 5 attack (for more information, click here).

  During a funeral service on January 19 for those killed, many believers rededicated their lives to Christ, and others came to faith in Christ for the first time. Weeping and singing while on their knees, a choir led about 500 attendees and 50 pastors in worship. The martyrs' relatives and other dignitaries -- including the deputy governor speaking on behalf of the state's governor -- spoke about each murdered Christian. The four-hour service then moved on to intercessory prayer for the Church in Nigeria, the nation at large, Muslims in Nigeria, and the Muslim extremist group Boko Haram.

  "The leader of the prayers based most of the prayers from the book of Isaiah 61:1–4, among other scriptures, which strengthen and encourage the Church. He encouraged the Church to be more prayerful than complaining," said a VOM worker. "He said the Lord knows how to fight His own battle in His own way, and we should not revenge whatsoever."

  Pray that the Lord will continue to comfort and provide for those mourning. Pray that He will sustain the faith of believers in Nigeria during these difficult trials. Pray that Christians in Nigeria will receive a crown of beauty, the oil of joy and the garment of praise from the Lord (Isaiah 61:3).

  To learn more about persecution in Nigeria, go to the Nigeria Country Report.

• Radical Muslims kill 29 Christians in two days

  A wounded Nigerian in one of the many attacks by Boko Haram Photo: Compass Direct News

  Members of the radical Islamic group, Boko Haram, killed 29 Christians in two days. Twenty Christians were gunned down on January 6 while holding a meeting to discuss ways to transport a body of a fellow Christian who was killed in an attack a day earlier. The martyrs in the January 5 attack were attending a worship service at Deeper Life Church in Gombe when the attack took place.

  The killings followed a threat issued on January 1 by Boko Haram telling Christians to leave northern Nigeria within three days (for more information, click here). The group fights for the implementation of a strict form of Shariah law all over Nigeria, including the southern region of Nigeria where Christians are the majority. The Nigerian government declared a state of emergency to contain anti-Christian violence.

  Rev. James Wuye, a northern Nigerian church leader, has urged Nigerian Christians not to resort to revenge in the face of increasing attacks. He said, "I ask Christians in Nigeria that we should exercise restraint and pray that the God of Elijah will surely fight for us. And Christians should show love for their neighbours because that is what Jesus Christ teaches."

  Pray the Lord will give Christians the grace and strength to resist taking up arms against their attackers. Pray the Lord will bring rest and peace to this troubled nation. Pray for those who have lost loved ones; may they be filled with the joy that comes from knowing that they will see them again at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18). Pray for the Nigerian government, the military and the members of Boko Haram.

  For more on Nigeria's suffering Church, please visit the Nigeria Country Report.

• Christians warned by Muslim militants to leave Nigeria's north within days

  St. Theresa's Catholic Church building after a Christmas Day bombing that claimed 45 lives. Photo: Abayomi Fayese via Compass Direct News

  On January 1, the militant Islamic group Boko Haram issued an ultimatum giving Christians living in northern Nigeria three days to leave the area amid a rising tide of violence. Boko Haram spokesman, Abul Qaqa, also said that fighters were ready to confront soldiers sent to the area under a state of emergency declared in parts of four states by Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan.

  Vowing to render Nigeria "ungovernable," Boko Haram targets anything that does not support its fundamentalist Islamist ends and jihadist means: universities, police, secular courts, Christian churches and even liberal mosques.

  The state of emergency came after a string of attacks in late December, where churches, a state security building, and a mosque were bombed. By December 31, President Jonathan had closed Nigeria's borders with Chad and Niger Republic and declared the state of emergency in 15 hard-hit local government areas of Borno, Yobe, Plateau and Niger states, sending tanks and soldiers to patrol the streets.

  Pray for those who were injured or who lost loved ones over Christmas. Pray the Lord will minister to them and help them overcome their present sufferings. Pray that those responsible will be brought to justice and that they will come to repentance and gain knowledge of Christ. Pray that God will frustrate the plans of the enemy (Nehemiah 4:15) so the current threat will come to nothing.

  For more on persecution in Nigeria, please visit the Nigeria Country Report.

• Believers killed and property destroyed by Muslim herdsmen and soldiers
   

  Charred interior of Christian-owned home burned by Muslim assailants in Barkin Ladi, Plateau state. Photo: Compass Direct News

  At least 45 Christians were murdered by Muslim herdsmen and soldiers in Nigeria in late November. Unfounded allegations of cattle theft preceded the attacks, according to Christian leaders in Plateau state, and thousands of vulnerable and unarmed Christians fled the area in fear, leaving churches largely empty on the Sunday following the attacks. Homes were burned, churches were closed and many Christians were also maimed or injured. Muslims were also reportedly moving onto the farms belonging to the Christians who had fled and were destroying their crops. Witnesses say Fulani Muslim herdsmen were shouting, "Allahu Akbar," which means, "God is greater."

  During the same time, Muslim extremists helped members of the Islamic terrorist sect Boko Haram destroy five church buildings in Nigeria's increasingly dangerous Yobe state in late November, displacing about 700 Christians. Previously in neighbouring Bauchi state, Islamic radicals killed four Christians, including three girls. Boko Haram seeks to impose a stricter version of Sharia (Islamic law) than that already in place in northern Nigeria to expand it to the rest of the country.

  Please pray that violence against Christians in Nigeria will cease and that churches will once again be filled. Pray that all who witness God's provision and protection will turn to Christ. Pray that God will bring verses of Scripture to mind that will comfort those who are grieving (Psalm 119:49-56).

  To learn more about persecution in Nigeria, please visit the Nigeria Country Report.

• More than 130 Christians murdered by extremists in Nigeria's north this month

  Shadrack Luka, eight, was among 12 Christians wounded in a church attack near Zonkwa, Kaduna state. Photo: Compass Direct News

  A murderous, four-hour rampage in early November in the eastern region of northern Nigeria left 150 people dead -- at least 130 of them Christians, according to church sources. Ten church buildings were also bombed and hundreds of people are still missing after more than 200 members of the Islamic extremist Boko Haram sect stormed the Yobe state capital on November 4. The attacks by Boko Haram were motivated by anti-Christian sentiments. Witnesses say the terrorists asked Christians they met to recite the Islamic creed, and those who could not do so were instantly slaughtered.

  The day before the terrorist attack, an armed Muslim gang not believed to be affiliated with Boko Haram, killed two Nigerian mothers and injured 12 others including an eight-year-old boy in a raid on a Catholic church in Kaduna state. "As these Muslims began shooting, they shot Mrs. Justina Isaac, a mother of three, who had all the while been hanging around by the window outside the church listening to my teachings in the church," said a Catholic seminary student who was leading worship at the time. "And when she was felled by the bullets, the cry of her baby attracted another woman, Mrs. Hassana Luka, who came out of her house close to the church to find out what the problem was, only to be killed too." The following night, the gang went on to attack a Christian village in the same area killing another Christian and injuring one other.

  Please pray that those who are beating and killing Christians in northern Nigeria will see their sin and will turn to Jesus and repent. Pray that the Lord will protect Christians in the region and that the families of those murdered will find peace and comfort in Him.

  To learn more about persecution in Nigeria, please visit the Nigeria Country Report.