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Nigeria

• Boko Haram attacks nine churches

  Rev. David Usman was killed by members of Boko Haram in a separate incident earlier this year. Photo: Compass Direct News

  On November 4, al-Qaeda affiliate Boko Haram launched attacks in Damaturu and Potiskum in Yobe State and in Maiduguri, Borno State. The death toll from the coordinated assaults presently stands at 150 and is expected to rise. Nine churches were targeted, along with mosques, a bank, an anti-terrorist court, police stations, and army posts. Boko Haram spokesman Abul-Qaqa has reportedly stated, "More attacks are on the way."

  In Damaturu's mostly Christian New Jerusalem district, six churches were bombed. According to one resident, "The whole city is traumatised." Nigeria's The Nation reported on November 7 that "in spite [of] their churches being burnt, Christians in Damaturu yesterday defied the security panic and held their Sunday service in [the] open air at the premises of their burnt churches."

  Thank the Lord for the great unity and faithfulness displayed by these Christians; ask the Lord to protect and shelter them from further attacks. Pray for President Goodluck Jonathan and all those in authority in Nigeria; pray that the Lord will grant them strength and wisdom to deal with this Islamist group. Pray for the members of Boko Haram, that they will come to know Jesus Christ.

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

• Christian mother of five killed by soldiers

  Nigerian soldiers summoned to stop inter-religious fighting between Muslim and Christian youths shot and killed a Christian mother of five in the Yelwa area of Bauchi city, according to family and church sources. A Christian boy was also shot.

  Soldiers were called to the area on October 20 to restore calm after fighting broke out at a high school soccer match and spread to other parts of the city. Other Muslims reportedly joined Muslim students from the school, attacking Christians and setting homes ablaze.

  Three Muslim soldiers later shot Charity Augustine Agbo. Charity's husband, Augustine, told reporters that the soldiers shot his wife after storming their house. "Three soldiers arrived... with siren blaring, scaring us and forcing us to run into our houses," he said. "When we all ran inside, we saw these three soldiers coming to our house; then we locked the outside gate, but the soldiers followed us and broke the glass door and forced the door open and shot my wife twice on the chest." The circumstances leading to the shooting of the boy, who is unrelated to Charity, were not immediately known and his name has not been disclosed. At last report, he was recovering in hospital.

  Please pray the Lord will bring about an end to the continuing violence in this area of Nigeria. Ask Him to comfort Augustine and his children. Pray the Lord will completely heal the young boy. Pray that the perpetrators will be brought to justice. Pray that they will also repent and believe.

  Visit the Nigeria Country Report for more on Nigeria's suffering believers.

• Evangelist murdered

  Mark Ojunta Photo: Compass Direct News

  A 36-year-old Christian evangelist was shot and killed in violence-ridden Borno state, Nigeria, the day after his family members, along with other Christians, were evacuated from the region in the face of death threats by Boko Haram extremists. Mark Ojunta was ministering in Nigeria's northeastern state with Calvary Ministries (CAPRO) when he was murdered. "Brother Mark took his family out on Friday (Aug. 26), but he went back to the field because he had a class with some believers on Saturday," said CAPRO international director Amos Aderonmu. "It was in the night that the sect came to where they were staying and knocked at the door, and he tried to escape but could not get away." Mark is survived by his wife, Ema, and two children, 3-year-old Kambe and 9-month-old Akira, as well as his parents and sisters. The killing came less than three months after the June murders of a Church of Christ pastor and his church secretary in Maiduguri (for more information, click here).

  Boko Haram leaders, who have claimed responsibility for these and other attacks and church bombings, have declared they want to establish an Islamic theocratic state in Nigeria. They reject democratic institutions, which they associate with Christianity. Many Christians have left the area, and some churches have shut down as many of their members have lost their lives.

  Please pray that the Lord will place a hedge of protection around Christian leaders and teachers so they can reach more souls in northern Nigeria. Please pray that Ema, Kambe and Akira would find peace and strength amid their loss and lean on the Lord through their grief. Pray that God will receive glory as more Nigerians turn to Him despite efforts to deter the spread of the gospel.

  To learn more about Nigeria's suffering believers, go to the Nigeria Country Report.

• Scores of Christians killed in Plateau state

  Dr. Paul from VOMedical, a ministry run by VOM-USA, helps a woman injured during a Plateau state attack in 2010.

  Dozens of Christians have been killed by Muslim extremists in Nigeria's Plateau state in recent weeks. On September 4, eight members of a Christian family were shot and butchered with machetes in Tatu village. The next day, seven Christians were killed in the village of Zakalio. Another four Christians were murdered on September 5 after Muslims attacked the Christian communities of Dabwak Kuru and Farin Lamba. On September 8, extremists attacked Tsohon Foron village and killed 10 Christians. The following evening, Muslim attackers killed 14 believers, including a pregnant woman, in the village of Vwang Kogot. The Muslims, aided by men in Nigerian army military uniforms, then raided the village. A pastor in the area said, "No help or relief from the government has been received by our people.... We've just been living with the horror of not knowing what will happen next."

  Pray that those who lost friends and family members will 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 that the perpetrators of these attacks will repent and come to faith in Christ. Pray for peace in Nigeria.

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

• Armed Muslim from Niger help kill Christians

  Angry youths killing innocent people in a previous attack in Kaduna, Northern Nigeria. Photo: Assist News

  Armed Muslims from Niger entered Nigeria's Kaduna state this month to help Islamists there invade Christian communities, where they killed two Christians, including a 10-year-old boy, area sources said. In the early morning hours of August 21, the armed Muslim group entered Fadiya Bakut village in Bajju district of the Zango-Kataf Local Government Area, and attacked the home of Andrew Allahmagani, the district head in Fadiya, Allahmagani told Compass contacts by telephone. "They moved to the quarters of my brother, where they shot and killed my nephew, Fidelis Ishaku, who was 10 years old, and shot and injured my mother, who is 70." A Christian security guard at the house, 52-year-old Zaman Kaki, was killed in the attack by about 10 assailants armed with guns and other dangerous weapons, Allahmagani said. The slain boy's grandmother, Laraba Ishaku, was wounded but received treatment.

  Jonathan Asake, a former member of Nigeria's National Assembly, confirmed the attack, as did Kaduna State Police Spokesman Aminu Lawal, who said one of the assailants has been arrested. "It is true that a security guard was killed, and a small boy was also killed," he said. "The target was not only the Christian community leader but also the Fadiya Bakut community."

  Please pray the Lord will bring rest and peace to these two nations. Pray He will frustrate the plans of the enemy. Ask Him to comfort the grieving, praying their comfort in Christ will be more than enough for them (2 Corinthians 1:5).

  Learn about Nigeria at the Nigeria Country Report.

• Christians slaughtered; army accused of aiding militants

  A doctor tends to one of the victims of an Islamist attack on Christians in Heipang village, Plateau state. Photo: Compass Direct

  Muslim extremists, with the alleged help of Nigerian army personnel, killed 24 Christians last month in central Nigeria's Plateau state. The attacks started on August 11 in Ratsa Foron village and continued there on August 15, leaving six Christians dead. Also on August 15 in Heipang village, Muslim extremists killed nine members of one Christian family along with another believer. "I can swear to God Almighty that the attack was carried out with the support of the soldiers; I saw them," said a tearful Nnaji John, who lost her family in the attack. On August 14, in the community of Chwelnyap in Jos, Muslim extremists killed two Christians and injured one woman. A few days later, on August 21, assaults in Kwi, Loton and Jwol villages resulted in the deaths of six more Christians. Sources added that Nigerian army soldiers participated in the assaults or at least accompanied the assailants.

  Plateau Governor Jonah Jang called for immediate withdrawal of the Nigerian army because he believed Muslims in the army had taken sides with Islamist assailants. "I am convinced that the armed forces are being polluted with the religious crisis in the country," Jang said. "Before now, the military personnel used to stay in the barracks, but today the armed forces have started taking sides in this religious crisis, and if they are not called to order it will be dangerous for the country."

  Please pray the Lord will have mercy on this nation, pour out His Spirit and loosen the hold the enemy has over many of its people; for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12). Pray the Lord will give wisdom and strength to those in authority. Ask Him to comfort those who have suffered as a result of ongoing violent attacks.

  Go to the Nigeria Country Report for more information about persecution in Nigeria.

• Pastor killed in Borno state

  Rev. David Usman and his wife at his 2009 ordination Photo: Compass Direct

  Two Christians were recently killed by members of the Islamist sect Boko Haram in the northeastern town of Maiduguri, Nigeria. Pastor David Usman (45) and Hamman Andrew, the church secretary, were shot dead near the church in an area of Maiduguri called the Railway Quarters. In 2009, when the church was set on fire by militants, Pastor David had reportedly raised the problem of Boko Haram with his superiors and commented that the Government needed to do more to stop their aggression.

  Boko Haram, a sect committed to extending strict Islamic or Sharia law across Nigeria, has been responsible for several recent attacks in the region, including deadly bombings. The violence has been widely interpreted as a protest against April's national elections, which returned Christian incumbent Goodluck Jonathan to power. The fighting has left many in the Christian community terrified for their lives. "We no longer feel free moving around the city and most churches no longer carry out worship services for fear of becoming targets of these unprovoked attacks," said one local pastor.

  Thank the Lord for the life and faith of Pastor David and Hamman. Ask God to surround their grieving loved ones with his comfort. Pray that Nigerian Christians will be emboldened and sustained by the Holy Spirit as they serve the Lord in a climate of intense violence. Pray that those who persecute Christians in Nigeria will repent and embrace Christ as Lord.

  For more information on suffering Christians in Nigeria, please visit theNigeria Country Report.

• Muslim attackers kill 17 Christians

  One of the burnt houses in Kurume Dodo Photo: Compass Direct

  Kurume Dodo, a Christian settlement in Bogoro Local Government Area of Bauchi state witnessed a horrific attack by Fulani Muslims on May 5. Villagers were ambushed by their attackers who came in large numbers with various weapons, unleashing their attack on both the young and old. Seventeen Christians were killed. As a result, many Christians in Kurume Dodo have deserted their homes and taken refuge in neighbouring villages.

  Hundreds have died in clashes in Nigeria following national elections last month in which Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian, won the presidential poll against a Muslim, Muhammadu Buhari. There are fears that the same Muslim groups that have been attacking Christian villages in and around Jos may have moved into the southern part of Bauchi state where 90 percent of Christians in the state reside. A representative from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) who spoke with VOM sources confirmed that many villages are under serious threat.

  Please pray for Christians in Kurume Dodo and all of northern Nigeria who are suffering severely because of their faith. Pray for the families of those who have lost loved ones. Pray the Lord will provide comfort and the grace to overcome violence and hatred with love and forgiveness.

  Read more about the persecuted Church in Nigeria at theNigeria Country Report.

• Christians killed in targeted attacks

  At least 24 Christians have been killed in targeted attacks around Jos, Plateau state, since January 27, as sectarian rioting continues. At least six people were killed in a raid on Dorowa village in the Barkin Ladi area, and 18 others died in neighbouring Christian villages. More than 30 homes in Dorowa were burnt down. Six villages in total in Barkin Ladi were attacked.

  Meanwhile, sectarian violence continues in parts of central Nigeria. In Tafawa Balewa, Bauchi state, 35 people died in clashes on January 27, police reportedly told news agency Agence France-Presse. Arson attacks in the town destroyed five mosques and 50 houses. An unexploded bomb was found and defused in a Methodist church in Bauchi city on January 31. Last weekend, churches, mosques and homes throughout Jos were set ablaze during rioting.

  Christian leaders in the region continue to call on officials to ensure that the Joint Task Force charged with peacekeeping in the region becomes more proactive in protecting vulnerable Christian communities. Christians in the city of Maiduguri in Borno state are also fearful after Islamist sect Boko Haram murdered the governorship candidate, Modu Fannami Gubio, and five others on January 28.

  Pray those who suffer tremendous physical pain and trials will be strengthened and delivered by the Lord (2 Corinthians 1:8-11). Ask the Lord to equip those in authority to protect Christians from further attacks. Pray He will heal and minister to those who are hurt and grieving. Pray against the enemy's plans for any further violence.

  Learn more about the persecution of believers in Nigeria at theEthiopia Country Report.

• Deadly bomb attacks over Christmas weekend

  Militants set a Borno state church on fire on Christmas Eve.

  At least 38 people were killed in deadly bomb attacks in northern and central Nigeria over Christmas weekend. On December 24, four explosions went off in two Christian neighbourhoods in the city of Jos, Plateau State. More than 28 people were seriously injured in the blasts. Christians were also attacked in Borno state on Christmas Eve when heavily armed militants set a church on fire. The church's pastor and four elders were burnt to death. The Islamists also shot and killed three church members outside the building. Islamists had reportedly been threatening to disrupt the Christian celebrations in Jos. On December 28, members of the Boko Haram Islamist group posted a statement on their website, claiming responsibility for the attacks. Both regions of Nigeria have seen deadly violence between Muslims and Christians in recent years (click here for more).

  Ask God to comfort those affected by these attacks. Pray God's peace will reign throughout Nigeria. Pray Christians will respond with Christ-like love, not retaliation to these attacks. Pray Nigerian Christians will draw near to God and rely on Him to equip them to stand for Him, even in a climate of violence.

  For more on the sufferings of Christians in Nigeria, go to theNigeria Country Report.