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
29 Apr 20131) 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
03 Jan 2013Attackers 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
16 Nov 2011Militant 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
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
01 Jun 2010Rev 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
Nearly half Niger’s population does not have enough to eat and the government says it is facing a grain shortfall of 692,501 tons, following another severe drought across the Sahel. The government says it needs 3.8 million tons of cereals to feed six million people spread across 6,981 villages, equating to 49.4 percent of the affected zones. Boukanda, a village with a population of 1,000 about 50km west of the capital Niamey, is typical of many insecure villages which have been largely abandoned by their younger residents. The able-bodied and young people of the village preferred to leave for big cities or abroad. Only a few ‘wealthier’ families pound sorghum instead of millet, the main staple of the village. These people still have small supplies but they will not last long. Boukanda village chief Seyni Seydou said the rains ended just when the plants needed water, and grasshoppers and other insects finished off the crops.
Pray: for the people of Niger as they face hunger and drought. Pray that the rains will come and supplies of cereals reach those in need. (Rev.7:16-17)
Niger: On the brink of severe food emergency
18 May 2010Niger could have a staggering eight million people starving and around one million children critically malnourished because of repeated drought and irregular rainfall that caused a poor harvest. Reports say many families are abandoning their villages and heading to Niamey city in a desperate search of food. Animals are beginning to die, malnutrition is on the increase and water is increasingly scarce. Many schools are being abandoned and the majority of Niger’s farmers fear they will not have seeds to plant for the next harvest in October. Imported Nigerian food is available but is too expensive for most families. Christian Aid has released £100,000 emergency funds to three partner organisations working in the region to provide food for the most vulnerable women and children, give support to cereal banks and food distribution and set up cash-for-work programmes to enable families to buy cereals and grains in the markets.
Pray: that Christian Aid’s resources would be enlarged, for lives to be saved and livelihoods rebuilt. (1Pe.4:10)
More:http://www.christianaid.org.uk/emergencies/current/west-africa-food-crisis/index.aspx