(Reading time: 1 - 2 minutes)
Coffins lined up with mourners gathered behind.
Coffins of slain Christians in Mallagum.
Photo: Morning Star News

As a local church was about to begin their service on Christmas Day in Angwan Aku, Kaduna, Fulani militants entered the village on motorcycles. Shooting sporadically, one Christian was killed. Before leaving, the attackers also kidnapped 53 other villagers.

Prior to this incident, in the days leading up to Christmas, militants attacked the villages of Mallagum and Kagoro, also located in Kaduna state. Forty Christians were killed in Mallagum on December 18th and an additional three in Kagoro on December 23rd. For those remaining in these predominantly Christian villages, life has been completely disrupted. "The lucky survivors have become refugees in their land," stated one resident. "Mass graves litter the community and the countryside." The assailants were heard to shout the Islamic declaration of Allah akbar (God is greater) while wreaking havoc on the villages.

Nigeria continues to be the nation where more Christians are killed for their faith than any other. While some of the country's violence and kidnappings arise for illicit financial gain, Christians are frequently targeted because of their faith. For more information on the persecution facing Christians in Nigeria, go to our country report.

Please prayerfully remember the grieving families and community members of the many Christians killed in these recent attacks, as well as those who have been abducted or are recovering from other incidents of persecution. Ask the Lord to minister greatly needed comfort and help to His suffering Nigerian people, replacing their uncertainties and fears with inner peace. May He also give wisdom to the members of the country's political leadership, urging them to make this concern of violent persecution a priority. As elections are taking place in February (for a new president and other governing representatives), pray that the Lord will guide the selection process – raising up those who will bring about peace in this divided nation.

Current Ministry Projects

Through a vast variety of projects, VOMC works with in-country partners to encourage and strengthen Nigerian Christians who have experienced extreme forms of persecution. Christian widows receive trauma counselling to help them heal from the aftermath of tragically losing their husbands due to persecution-related attacks. These widows are also provided skills training so they can have a practical means of income to support their families. Children who have lost their parents and other relatives during incidents of persecution are provided a safe place in which to grow and be nurtured. Medical fees are paid for Christians who have suffered serious injuries perpetrated by militants affiliated with Nigeria’s Boko Haram and Fulani groups. Discipleship and vocational training are being offered to Muslim-background believers to help them start their new lives spiritually and practically.

The ministry also gives persecuted Christians who are completing their master's degrees – and have a desire to share the Gospel in their communities – the opportunity to benefit as recipients of the Glenn Penner Scholarship Award. Another one of VOMC’s projects in Nigeria involves the distribution of food aid to persecuted Christians residing within Internal Displacement Persons' (IDP) camps. Through this distribution effort, displaced believers who have been forced to flee their homes and communities because of their faith not only receive daily sustenance but also the encouragement that’s needed to rebuild their lives.

Project Funds: Women’s Ministry, Bibles (Distribution), Medical, Families of Martyrs, Equipping the Saints, Relief & Development

Country Information

Population
219,463,862 (July 2021 est.)

Ethnicity (%)
Hausa (30), Yoruba (15.5), Igbo (15.2), Fulani (6), Tiv (2.4), Kanuri/Beriberi (2.4), Ibibio (1.8), Izaw/Izon (1.8), Other (24.7)

Religion (%)
Islam (53.5), Christianity (45.9), Other (0.6)

Leader
President Muhammadu Buhari (2015)

Government type
Federal presidential republic

Legal system
Mixed legal system of English common law, Islamic law (in 12 northern states), and traditional law

Source: CIA World Factbook

Pray for Nigeria

May God minister great comfort and healing to all who have been injured or bereaved as a result of the militants' brutal attacks. In addition, pray for the remaining abducted Chibok schoolgirls, that they will be assured of the Lord's abiding presence as they await release from captivity. Continue to uphold President Buhari and other members of the Nigerian government as they make further attempts to rescue the remaining girls and provide protection for vulnerable citizens. As they persevere in their endeavours to overcome terrorism, may they be granted wisdom, courage, strength and help from on high.

end

Select a Region

Nigeria News