Reconciliation seems far away between Christian farmers and Muslim herdsmen in Nigeria’s middle belt areas. Christians fled to Plateau and Benue states because of discrimination and attacks from Boko Haram in the north,but now they are being killed and having their homes torched by Muslim Fulani herdsmen. Over 56 villages have been attacked this year, three in the past week. It is a religious battle and a battle over land. There is no reconciliation in sight, and the attitude of government is not helping. Governments should protect their people, but this government has allowed the people to be continuously attacked. Some Christians are having their faith eroded, while many are holding on trusting in God. A local farmer said, ‘We believe God will come through for the church as believers stand with us worldwide in prayer - He will sort out these issues’. Pray for those carrying the burden of housing people who have fled persecution.
Pray: for God to give Nigeria’s leaders compassion. May they promote justice. (Micah 3:1,2a)
More: www.premierchristianradio.com/News/World/Something-needs-to-be-done-or-the-church-will-be-destroyed-says-Nigerian-Christian
News
Christian leaders in the central Plateau State argue that there is a religious dimension to Fulani attacks on villages; unless politicians acknowledge this, they cannot properly address the conflict. On 28 August in Jos, a Christian peace summit for the northern regions was ending. 100 miles away, at the same time, Fulani militants set ablaze Rev Adamu Wurim Gyang and his three children. They were burnt beyond recognition. His wife Jummai was left to die in a pool of blood. 95 houses were torched, 225 crops awaiting harvest were destroyed, at least 14 were killed, and many wounded. CSW said that after the perpetrators had gone the military arrived, killing a woman who tried to stop them detaining local youths who wanted them to go after the Fulani militia instead. A video verified by World Watch Monitor shows people holding up her body, and Rev Ezekiel Dachomo appealing for assistance from the US, UK, and the UN, saying, ‘An Islamic agenda is taking over the nation’.
Pray: for God to prompt the nations to stand with and for the persecuted in Nigeria. (Isaiah 14: 24, 25b)
More: www.worldwatchmonitor.org/2018/09/nigeria-pastor-and-three-sons-burned-alive-among-at-least-20-killed-in-latest-plateau-massacre/
Theresa May visited Africa on a major mission to build up new trade relations ahead of Brexit. Pray that every detail of conversations with South African, Nigerian and Kenyan leaders will be used to re-engage with a fast-growing continent which some feel British business and politicians have neglected in recent years. Pray that the delegates who travelled with her (trade minister George Hollingbery, minister for Africa Harriett Baldwin, secretary of state for Wales Alun Cairns, a Stock Exchange representative, and the Lord Mayor of London Charles Bowman) will in the future be able to build on the links made. A Government statement before the visit stated, ‘This comes at a time of enormous change across Africa with a unique opportunity, as the UK moves towards Brexit, for a truly global Britain to invest in and work alongside African nations, with mutual benefits.’
Pray: for wide-ranging trade to be established and built on in the coming years. (Jeremiah 29:11)
More: www.gov.uk/government/news/theresa-may-to-lead-ambitious-three-nation-trip-to-africa
The World Council of Churches (WCC) has called on the Cameroonian government to stop using force to punish its people in the English-speaking region. The authorities should immediately cease using ‘disproportionate and deadly force against civilians and protect everyone’s human rights’. The UN described the situation as ‘an unprecedented complex humanitarian crisis’ caused by violence between the government and both English-speaking separatists in the west of Nigeria and Boko Haram in the north-east. The country has been affected by the mass displacement of hundreds of thousands of Nigerians and Cameroonians; also by insecurity, malnutrition, and a ‘very disturbing’ risk of epidemics, because of the ongoing conflict. The WCC particularly condemned escalating violence against women and children. Paul Biya, who has been president since 1982, intends to run for a seventh term.
Pray: for God to protect the vulnerable, and bring change through October’s elections. (Judith 9:11)
The National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF) commented on a press release by the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA). Their opening comments were, ‘On 5 July, 2018, the NSCIA published an article titled LET THE TRUTH BE TOLD. In our candid estimation, rather than tell the truth, the article is the exact opposite of the truth. It might have been more proper to have titled it ‘Let the Taqiyya be told.’ Taqiyya is religious deception and the article they refer to said that Muslims were the targeted victims of herdsmen. NCEF stated categorically that this statement is untrue and Muslims were not victimised, Christians are the victims while the government consents to ongoing genocide and ethno-religious cleansing of communities. NCEF said that the government deliberately obscures the truth as the targets of the Fulani herdsmen are natives of Middle Belt who are mainly Christians. See also next article - Five Christian youths to be hanged.
Pray: for God to intervene and end rural religious volatility in Nigeria. (Psalm 7:9)
Muslim Fulani herders do not make the headlines as often as Boko Haram. Christians in the northeast state of Adamawa have fled because of Boko Haram, only to return and find their property occupied by Muslim Fulani herders. Five Christian youths have been sentenced to hang for killing one Fulani herdsman who in turn had allegedly killed 48 people. Who is stopping the violence? Where is the government's protection for citizens? Where is justice? The lack of response by Nigeria's security services is seen as complicit in crimes against Christians. The Numan Federation in Adamawa is the only predominantly Christian area remaining in northern Nigeria. In recent years migration of Muslim Fulani herdsmen into that area has increased. The judicial, military, and security agencies are all controlled by non-Christians and many fear that the Muslim President may use the violence as an excuse to cancel the 2019 elections and remain in power.
Pray: for world leaders/countries to exert pressure on President Buhari to protect of all of Nigeria's citizens, particularly the minority Christians. (Ezra 9:9)
“In what the Christian Association of Nigeria is calling a “pure genocide,” 238 more Christians were killed and churches desecrated by Muslims last week in the west African nation. This brings the death toll of Christians to more than 6,000 since the start of 2018.
According to a joint statement by the Christian Association, an umbrella group of various Christian denominations, “There is no doubt that the sole purpose of these attacks is aimed at ethnic cleansing, land grabbing and forceful ejection of the Christian natives from their ancestral land and heritage.” See: https://viewpointnigeria.com/stop-this-senseless-and-bloodshedding-in-the-middlebelt-can-tells-buhari/
On 18 July a protest was organised by Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) outside the Nigerian High Commission in London, to mark 150 days since 15-year-old Leah Sharibu was kidnapped by Boko Haram in Yobe state, Nigeria. Leah was one of 110 schoolgirls abducted on 19 February from the a local government college. Five died during the ordeal and the rest were freed, but Leah remained in captivity as she refused to renounce her faith. CSW’s CEO Mervyn Thomas said, ‘It's very important to remember that this is not just a protest - this is prayer and protest. CSW believes in those two things going together. So we're hoping first of all that God will answer prayer, but we're also hoping that the Nigerian government will take action.’
Pray: for God to answer all the prayers for Leah’s safe release. (Psalm 88:2)
More: www.premierchristianradio.com/News/UK/Christians-mark-150-days-since-Nigerian-girl-was-held-captive-for-her-faith
On 15 July the Christian Association of Nigeria reported that in the previous week 238 Christians were killed and more churches desecrated by Muslims. This puts the total number of Christians killed as 6,000+ since January. This is genocide. A joint communiqué from the Christian Association, representing different denominations, said, ‘There is no doubt that the sole purpose of these attacks is ethnic cleansing, land seizure and the forced expulsion of Christian natives from their land and ancestral heritage.’ The statement condemned recent attacks, where 2,000+ people had been brutally murdered and churches destroyed without any security intervention despite the various calls for help that were made. Taking into account that Christians constitute more than 50% of the Nigerian population, it is obvious that the objective of the Islamists is to create serious conflicts that, if not controlled, can lead to another civil war. Also, floods are killing many and ruining crops, raising fears of food shortages. See https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/07/nigeria-floods-worsen-food-shortages-180715120551293.html
Pray: for God to end the false presentation of Christian genocide as struggles between ‘shepherds and farmers’, leaving unpunished those who murder Christians. (Psalm 45:4)
More: www.gatestoneinstitute.org/12645/christians-genocide-nigeria
A London-based nurse has been convicted of trafficking five Nigerian women into Germany to work as prostitutes after subjecting them to ‘voodoo’ rituals. Josephine Lyamu forced them to swear oaths to hand over money to her during ‘juju’ ceremonies. Praise God for the successful prosecution. The women had been psychologically manipulated and financially exploited, as well as sexually abused. This is the first conviction under the Modern Slavery Act, passed in 2015. See also the IJM prayer requests in the ‘World’ section.
Praise: for the restoration of the women's lives. Pray for more successful UK convictions. (1 Samuel 18:14)
More: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-44645937
Some of the harshest persecution of Christians is in Nigeria and other parts of especially Muslim-inhabited Africa. Here are two reportsfrom well-respected African leaders:
- It was reported that on 4thFebruary, 2017, the US Congress affirmed that the most dangerous nation on earth for anyone to be a Christian is Nigeria.
- There are five notable Islamist terror groups worldwide. The 1stmost terrible is Boko Haram and the 4this Fulani herdsmen. Both 1stand 4th operate in Nigeria.
- According to World Watch Monitor, over 60% of global Christian fatalities as a result of persecution are Nigerian Christians killed in Nigeria.
- A research report by Arne Mulder affirms that as of December 2014, over 13,000 Church buildings have been destroyed and abandoned in northern Nigeria.
- The current Federal Administration in Nigeria is openly pursuing an anti-Christian agenda that has resulted in countless murders of Christians all over the nation and destruction of vulnerable Christian communities. Just recently, Elder Statesman Gen. T. Y. Danjuma raised an alert that Christians should take steps to defend themselves.
- Mass burial of Christian victims of Jihad is becoming a regular occurrence in Nigeria. The most recent one was done by the Catholic Church a few days ago.
- Christians have been emasculated out of the security infrastructure in the country.
Reuben Ezemadu
International Director, CMF Inc
Continental Coordinator, MANI
E-mail:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
British evangelist Rico Tice spoke at GAFCON, warning that God would take His power, spirit and gospel outside the Anglican institution if Anglicans leaders do not submit to scripture and repent of sin. He said he could relate to Rev Behan when he said he wept and grieved over New Zealand’s church; adding, ‘To come here and see the largest collection of Anglicans for the last 50 years meet together and have a Nigerian bishop rebuke us about our sin was so refreshing.’ He said that the road to ruin in Britain is defined by tolerance and permissiveness, doing what you please, thinking what you please. ‘In a way I come to GAFCON partly grieving but also delighted to find a family that is Anglican, that I can trust, who submit to the Lord Jesus and to Scripture. There’s a loss of nerve in the Church because culture is intolerant of people holding onto the uniqueness of Jesus and his high and holy standards.’
Pray: for today’s Church to recognise that salvation’s gate is narrow. (2 Timothy 3:16)
More: http://vimeo.com/275769735
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