The battle between good and evil is becoming more prominent here at home. In previous editions, I wrote of the conflict facing Christians in our country because Nigeria is broken. There is an urgent call for all Christians to be vigilant in bringing our nation to the LORD in prayer.
Over this past year, many brothers and sisters of our LORD Jesus Christ have been targeted by Boko Haram, Fulani herdsmen, and even members of our government – all enemies of our faith. We have seen brothers and sisters in the LORD kidnapped for ransom and others taken to slavery camps. There has been widespread destruction of property resulting in food shortages and lost income. The government has increased taxes against schools and business owned by fellow Christians. This has affected us directly at the Steward Model School.
It is very evident that we here in Nigeria are under serious attack by the forces of darkness, both physical and spiritual. Here are just a few specific examples of recent persecution:
• April 2019, in Madagali, Adamawa State: Boko Haram fighters invaded predominantly Christian Kuda community in Madagali Local Government Area (LGA) of Adamawa State. Over 30 houses were set on fire and 23 people were killed, 20 of whom were Christians. Residents left the village to seek refuge in Gulak and other relatively safer parts of Adamawa State.
• August 2019, in Lau LGA, Taraba State: A conflict between a radical Fulani herder and a farmer was the trigger for attacks and reprisal acts that continued for weeks and resulted in 65 deaths (most of them Christians) and 18 burned villages (with 15 churches, two elementary schools and a health center destroyed). Security forces that were deployed in the area did not intervene; on the contrary, in June 2019, many youth were arrested during protests against the violence and inaction of the local authorities.
• October 2019, in Chikun, Kaduna State: Fulani-speaking gunmen kidnapped six school girls and two teachers from Engravers College Kakau, a Christian-run high school. The abductors stormed the boarding school around midnight, when most of the students and teachers were asleep. The victims were released after a ransom was paid. In the last few years, armed groups have perpetrated countless abductions along the Kaduna-Abuja highway for ransom, and in the process killed some of their victims. But this is the first time a school was involved.*
The battle bell is ringing loudly in Nigeria. We invite you to partner with us in seeking the LORD’s deliverance and wisdom. We have been discouraged, but that has not stopped us from sharing the Bible to share the Good News of Christ through our evangelism efforts.
•(Courtesy of Open Doors USA, https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/nigeria/)