Christians In Nigeria Under Attack
If you are a Christian in Nigeria today, your life is at risk.
In different parts of the country, some Islamist rebel groups are blatantly targeting and attacking Christians. In other parts, a weak government unable to ensure the security of its citizens has led to a state of lawlessness that often breaks between inter-religious conflict.
One thing is abundantly clear, the Nigerian government will not stop it and all signs point to conditions deteriorating.
Just this week, we have witnessed:
Three people killed after gunmen attack a church in Eruku, Nigeria.
25 girls kidnapped from a school in Maga town, Nigeria, with two teachers killed.
Dozens of students and staff kidnapped from St Mary's School in Papiri, Nigeria.
Nigeria is a large country with a population of 232 million people. It has an ethnically diverse population of Christians, Muslims, and a smaller minority populations of indigenous religions.
International media to their credit has picked up their reporting on the escalating violence and sectarian conflicts. President Trump and pop star Nicki Manaj have drawn even greater attention to the violence with their recent public comments giving voice to the suffering of Christians in the country.
You can read some of the coverage for your self here: Reuters, Fox News, BBC News, CTV News
Our teams on the ground and the international reporting help us better understand what is going on.
The north of Nigeria is gripped by violence. Some of this is initiated by radical Islamists who seek to advance their faith through the barrel of a gun. Some of this is lawless rebel groups, kidnapping school children for attention and ransom money.
In this part of Nigeria, Christians are the minority are increasingly live in a constant state of fear. Fear for their lives, their churches, and their way of life.
The local and federal governments have lost control and our reports on the ground indicate this is going to get worse without new action to stop it.
OFWI’s Call To Action:
Pray for peace and the safe return of all the students and staff kidnapped from schools.
Speak up in your community for persecuted Christians and help mobilize support for action.
Engage your local elected official and ask them to press for international support to improve the security situation.
The sad reality is as we approach the celebration of Christmas, Christians in Africa and Middle East are more likely to face violence. The pattern repeats itself every year: when Christians gather to celebrate, radical Islamist and rebel groups seize it as an opportunity to attack.
We cannot look away and leave them to fend on their own.
Lets put our faith in action to protect persecuted Christians in Nigeria and pressure governments to do better to stand up for their citizens and the freedom to worship.