Faith
Under Fire....
Nigeria: Christian Believers Gunned Down "while their eyes
were closed in prayer"
First-hand report of a native missionary ministry leader supported
by Christian Aid.
Thank God for His grace and mercy. Today, we buried Jacob Eloiyi,
one of our ministry supporters who was killed by Islamic
terrorists. The funeral was highly attended by believers, and we
prayed for the peace of our city and Nigeria. Continue to pray
with us as we trust the Lord that all will be well. It seems we
are more peaceful for now even though three people were shot
yesterday in a beer parlor."
I received this message on 16 January from an indigenous
missionary ministry leader supported by Christian Aid. He had
called me late at night on 6 January to ask for prayer. He and his
family were behind locked doors with others from the ministry,
keeping vigil so they would not be slaughtered in their sleep.
"We could never have imagined what would happen next when those
two buses drove into town filled with Boko Haram Muslim fanatics.
Authorities did nothing, and the next day, two of their young men
on a motor cycle sped toward the Christ Apostolic church, raised
their AK47's, and coldly and brazenly opened fire on believers
gathered for prayer. Twelve people were killed, openly gunned down
in daylight, while their eyes were closed in prayer. Twelve died,
including three Christian brothers who support our missionary
work. Anyone could be a target as it is now. We have no weapon but
prayer, and we want you to join with us as the Lord and His
kingdom are attacked."
At funeral: Jacob's family kneels as native missionary ministry
leader and attendees pray for them.
Those murdered comprise only a small percentage of the total
number that have been massacred in ruthless attacks by Boko Haram,
an Islamic terrorist group intent on driving Nigeria's Christians
from the nation's Muslim-dominated northern regions and imposing
Shariah law throughout the nation.
After the church attack, still thirsty for blood, the killers went
to a beauty salon, opened fire, and murdered four more. When
several dozen Christians gathered together to mourn the loss of
fellow believers murdered the previous day, Boko Haram members
surrounded the crowd and began shooting, killing more than 20
people and leaving others severely wounded.
The attacks intensified throughout the Christmas season, leaving
more than 50 people dead in a wave of bombings, mostly outside
church buildings as services were ending.
Though Boko Haram admits to targeting Christians, even Muslims are
not exempt from their attacks. The feared group has bombed
schools, universities, banks, and bars. Even mosques. Soldiers and
police officers are targeted and killed.
The militant extremists suicide-bombed UN headquarters, killing 23
in Abuja, Nigeria's capital city. Immediately after, a plot to
bomb the US Embassy there was discovered and stopped.
Apart from declaring a state of emergency in several regions,
Nigerian officials, either unable or unwilling to act, have left
the people to defend themselves. It is well known that some high
level official in the military, and even the governor of one
state, are actually helping the group. See Mastermind of Madalla
Christmas Day Bombing Arrested in Borno State Govt Lodge Abuja -
Naija Pundit. Many fear a civil war will ensue.
In the face of the escalation of violence, some nominal Christians
are threatening a bloody "eye for an eye" retaliation if the
government continues to do nothing.
"Pray for our missionaries serving in the Muslim north," the
leader writes. "More than 40 Christians in the region have been
killed in a single week by the Islamic militants."
For years, his indigenous ministry has been working tirelessly to
take the gospel to Nigeria's unreached Islamic northern states
which are dominated by the Muslim Hausa and Fulani tribes.
Despite the extreme difficulties involved in reaching Muslims with
the gospel, the ministry has made incredible inroads into several
Islamic communities.
The incessant terrorist attacks have forced the ministry leader to
delay the opening of his school of missions. As his ministry
headquarters is located in an Islamic area now targeted by Boko
Haram, Christian Aid is praying with him for the means to move the
headquarters to a safer area.
No missionaries plan to leave their fields in spite of the danger,
but the ministry base should be in a centralized and neutral place
in order to properly function. He writes, "We only need your
prayers and continued support for our missionaries in the Islamic
north. Doors are opening, and we are also reaping some fruit as
many nominal Muslims who hate this terrorism are coming to know
the Lord."
Christian Aid has enabled the ministry to purchase land. Now
$50,000 is needed for housing three families and an office. Click
here to give to enable this native Nigerian ministry to move its
headquarters out of a Boko Haram target zone.
In addition to the fear inflicted upon the nation by the
terrorists, high fuel prices have brought the country to a
standstill. Nigeria is Africa's largest producer of oil and has
long provided it at low cost for its people. The government's
recent decision to remove fuel subsidies has caused gas prices to
more than double and precipitated nationwide strikes. The ministry
leader reports that the cost of transportation, food, and other
necessities has risen by more than 50 percent, causing great
burdens on the work of the Lord through increased costs for
everything.