Early Sunday morning, Muslim gunmen abducted a Catholic priest, Rev. Gabriel Ukeh, while he slept at his home in St. Thomas Catholic Parish, Zaman Dabo village, Kaduna State.
On June 2, Fulani raiders attacked a mostly Christian village in Kwall District, Plateau State, and murdered Pastor Dauda Dalyop of the Assemblies of God Church, his wife Chummy, and three other Christians, Chwe Ajuhs, Joshua Kusa and Rikwe Doro.
Just two days earlier, also in Kwall, Fulani herdsmen ambushed two Christians, killing Irmiya Musa Timbi and wounding his companion.
On May 7, herdsmen killed four Christian farmers in Kayarda village, Qu’an Pan County, Plateau State. On the same day, in Kwal village, Bassa County, Fulani also ambushed and killed a Christian farmer, whose wife and children were murdered by that tribe three years earlier. Also the same day, a Christian lecturer at Plateau State University, Joshua Gonshak, was kidnapped in Bokkos County.
On May 1, also in Bokkos, Fulani terrorists attacked eight Christians in Ngoksar village, killing two of them. On April 13, herdsmen of that tribe attacked Natinnhut village, killing three Christians. On April 12, eight more Christians were killed in Mandung village.
Since December of 2023, close to 30,000 people have been displaced from their homes due to violence in Plateau State, including 13,093 children and 16,461 women.
Nigeria is the deadliest place in the world for Christians, with 80-90% of the world’s martyrs killed there every year. More Christians are kidnapped there than any other country in the world (3,300 in 2023). The West African country also ranks third highest for number of attacks on churches (750 in 2023).
Meanwhile, praise God, a Christian couple imprisoned for three years in Kaduna State without trial has at last been acquitted this year. In 2013, police asked Jonah and Josephine Gangas, pastors of Evangelical Church Winning All, to help a 12-year-old Muslim runaway girl. The Christian couple took her in and cared for her for seven years, funding her education. After she returned home, her family accused them of kidnapping and proselytizing, and the Gangas were thrown in jail.
(Reports from Christian Daily International, Morning Star News, May 2, 14, and June 10)
Lord, thank You for the release of Joseph and Josephine from prison. Please provide for all their needs now, heal their hearts and minds, and multiply their church. Make the way of escape or quick release for Gabriel, Joshua and all other Christians who have been abducted. Guard them from harm, give them songs of deliverance. Use them as a witness to their captors and other victims. Uphold them with Your right hand, comforting them with Your love and reminding them of Scripture. And bring them safely home to their families and churches.
Comfort those who mourn the loss of these precious loved ones mentioned, heal the bodies and minds of every survivor of these horrific attacks, and provide for all their needs, especially the children. Speak tenderly to broken spirits. Conquer devastating memories with the healing power of Your love and grace.
Be a Shield around every believer, guarding them and their families from harm. Empower them by Your Spirit to speak Truth and act in love, joy, peace, forgiveness and faith, with a demonstration of Your power. Perform miracles and wonders in the sight of their persecutors and leave crowds in awe of You. Heal the sick, the lame, the wounded, the blind. Raise the dead to life. When guns or other weapons are aimed at Christians, cause them to misfire and drop to the ground. When fists or feet are lifted to beat or kick a believer, freeze them in place so the persecutor is unable to move and must ask the Christian to pray for them first before they are freed. When evildoers seek to burn down a house or church, coat that place with Your protection, pushing back the flames so it never catches fire. Send shockingly visible angels to surround every believer, church and home, stepping in front to block enemy attacks. Turn every curse spoken against a Christian into a blessing instead, and bring such disastrous events upon persecutors that they know beyond any doubt You did that, so they will repent in fear of the Lord and turn to You. Change the tide of violence in Nigeria. In this most deadliest place in the world for Christians, we speak, “LIFE, in the name of Jesus!” Protect the innocent. Bring every persecutor to their knees before You, as You did Paul, and show them who You are. Haunt their dreams, visit them throughout the day, topple the lies they believe with Truth, and show Yourself strong on behalf of victims in such miraculous ways that every violent offender will tremble in fear, drop their weapons and repent, surrendering to Your love and salvation.
Move as never before in Nigeria, O God, awakening every heart to Your love. Bring witchdoctors to faith, leading whole villages to burn their fetishes and choose You as Lord. Break the power of demons over every life, Jesus, so those who have lived in fear will now hunger for You and seek You desperately until they find You. Lift the veil from their eyes, break their bonds, set them free from the enemy’s clutches, so they can see You as You truly are, choose to worship You alone as God and finally live the abundant life they were created for. John 10:10.
Raise up a generation holy unto You of preachers and missionaries who will take Your Good News into every dark corner of Nigeria, Africa and beyond, penetrating the darkness with Light and changing lives forever with Your love.
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