Nigeria: Aftermath of innocents killed in cold blood
Last Sunday Boko Haram attacked the College of Agriculture in a dawn raid. Innocent pupils were gunned down in cold blood while still in their beds. Amnesty International stated that the attacks on schools had become more vicious and brutal since the beginning of 2013. Several trucks of soldiers have moved into the area and soldiers are also fighting the insurgents at one border community between Borno and Yobe states where the terrorists burnt a Dangote truck and killed seven people. Military officials confirmed that fighting is still going on between the terrorists and the men of the Joint Task Force in a forest area between Yobe and Borno states where the terrorists were sighted. Trade union, religious and traditional institutions are calling political and opinion leaders in the northeast to intervene urgently to end the cycle of barbaric violence by the sect. Pray: for all in authority throughout Nigeria to be empowered with God’s wisdom and discernment, covered with His protection and enabled to overcome the evil attacking the country at this time. (Ro.12:21) More: http://www.nigerianwatch.com/news/2680-death-toll-from-boko-haram-college-massacre-rises-to-90-as-bodies-found-in-the-bush#sthash.3r4D7k7U.dpuf
NIGERIA: 5 campaigns supporting Nigeria
1) Fighting oil theft: ‘Stop the theft’ is a campaign to raise awareness of the scale and consequences of illegal oil theft in the Niger Delta and to work with others to propose/advocate for long term and tangible solutions. 2) Crowd funding: ‘Think of 234Give’ as a tunnel. On one end are all those who want to help the country. On the other end are all those who need help. It is the connection linking donors and fundraisers with deserving charities and needy projects. 3) Diaspora voting: An initiative to secure a vote for each Nigerian in the Diaspora enabling Nigerians to build Nigeria together. 4) Promoting online education: ‘GAPS’ (Grow, Advance, Produce, Succeed) Academy aims to empower everyone to learn, share and bridge the gaps in their knowledge and experience. 5) Demystifying government finance: ‘BudgIT’ aims to retell the Nigerian budget and public data in a finer detail across every literacy span to stimulate citizen interests and discussions towards better governance.
Pray: that these start-up initiatives would achieve their aims and may God raise up more innovative agencies to support Nigeria back on to her feet. (Ps.121:1-2)
More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/05/nigeria-five-campaigns-oil
NIGERIA: 36 killed over Christmas
Attackers stormed a church in Kyachi village, Chibok, and shot 15 people on Sunday in the latest violence against Christians. Nigeria’s military downplayed the incident, but the official who spoke of the attack is the regional coordinator for the country’s National Emergency Management Agency. The attack followed violence on Friday when attackers slit the throats of 15 Christians in a pre-dawn raid in Musari, also in the north-east. Musari and Chibok are located in Nigeria’s Borno state, where Boko Haram has been based. During a Christmas Eve service gunmen killed six people in north-eastern Yobe state, then they set the building ablaze. Violence linked to Boko Haram’s insurgency in northern and central Nigeria is believed to have left some 3,000 people dead since 2009. While the violence has been severe in certain areas this Christmas season, it has been less bloody than in 2011.
Pray: for President Goodluck Jonathan as he attempts to end Boko Haram tyranny, pray also for the Church to be strengthened and encouraged during 2013. (Ps.68:28)
More: http://dawn.com/2013/01/01/attackers-kill-15-at-nigerian-church-rescue-official/
Nigeria: 150 killed
Militant group Boko Haram carried out gun and bomb attacks on churches and police stations in northern Nigeria, killing 150+ people and injuring 100 others on November 5th. Confirmation came as frightened mourners tried to leave their homes to begin burying their dead. Boko Haram seeking Sharia law across the nation pledged more attacks. Suicide attackers driving a utility vehicle detonated explosives at a military unit deployed to curb violence. Police stations, a bank and six churches were also attacked. The Jerusalem area, a predominantly Christian neighbourhood, was targeted; elsewhere hundreds of youths staged protests after gunmen opened fire on a Christian congregation in Kaduna state; also on November 3rd a village prayer meeting of mainly women and children at St. Augustine Catholic Church was attacked leaving two people dead. When attackers fired many escaped into the bush.
Pray: for Christians to know God's peace, and to remain calm and prayerful as they face a new dimension of attack on the Church. (Mt.5:38,39)
More: http://www.worthynews.com/11052-scores-killed-in-attack-on-nigeria-churches-police
Nigeria 2: al-Qaida offers to train and arm Muslims
The leader of North Africa's al-Qaida branch has offered training and weapons to Nigeria's Muslims to fight the Christians following sectarian violence. Abdelmalek Droukdel, leader of al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, has accused Nigerian Christians of killing hundreds of Muslims in a ‘Crusader war’ and promises to train Muslim youths and supply them with weapons and equipment. He exhorted Nigerians to ‘push your sons into the fields of Jihad to become the fighting vanguard in defence of the Muslims blood and honour.’ Violence between Christians and Muslims in central Nigeria left 326 people dead late last month.
Pray: for law and order to be restored, that Christians will not retaliate with further violence but will show Christ-like love.(Ps.17:7) More: http://ausprayernet.org.au/newsletter/DisplayNewsletter.php?e_id=00000001889#st4
Nigeria 1: Politics of identity
Rev Zang Tengong said a religious war is under way for the soul of Nigeria and believes the central city of Jos is the frontline against Islam’s expansion southwards. ‘I know what Jesus says but Islam is a demonic religion and these people are very dangerous - this is a religious war, we will fight to the last drop of blood.’ Like many other Christian leaders across this city he is convinced the church is confronting Jihad; an echo of 19th-century campaign of Islamic conquest and conversion by Usman Dan Fodio. Nelson Ananze of Community Action for Popular Participation said, ‘A great divide is between indigenous people who claim it’s their land, and those they call settlers.’ Muslims are not given business contracts or indigene forms (entitlement to schooling and state jobs).
Pray: for God to intervene in ethnicity struggles, political power rivalry and religious tension in what was once a laid back cosmopolitan city. (Ps.3:8) More: http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=89243