Category: Nigeria

Nigeria: Bishops say Nigeria’s inaction led to deaths during Islamic uprising
— “The Boko Haram sect opposes Western education and insists on the imposition of Shariah, or Islamic law. The uprising began in late July after the arrest of some of the sect’s members.”

Nigeria: Boko Haram: How 3 pastors were beheaded eyewitness
— Daily Sun reports: “One of the victims of last week’s attack by the Yusufiya sect in Borno State has given a shocking account of how the extremists killed three pastors who were captured along with other victims on the second day of the insurgence. The victim was among those held hostage in Yusuf’s enclave.”
— “Speaking exclusively to Daily Sun in Maiduguri, the eye witness who preferred anonymity disclosed that the three pastors were beheaded on the instruction of the sect leader, Mohammed Yusuf shortly after bringing them out of his inner chamber.”
— ” ‘The pastors alongside one Ibo man were asked to change their faith to Islam like they did to other people taken as hostages. I think there was an argument by one of the pastors which gave the others some level of confidence to also resist accepting Islam.’ ”
— ” ‘The Yusufiya men who were armed on that Tuesday afternoon were not comfortable with the pastors and they took one of them to the sect leader in his inner chamber. They came out later to the courtyard within the compound and cut their heads one after the other and thereafter, shouted allah akbar in wild celebration accompanied with several gun shots,’ the eye witness disclosed.”
— “He said the hostages numbering about 50 within the area of the execution of the pastors and another fair complexioned man which he could not identify, were gripped with fear as non could foretell the outcome of their stay at the enclave of the fundamentalists. He was however lucky to escape as he was freed in the night with others with a warning not to mix with kafrici (infidels).”
— “Corroborating the account of the killing, a Senior pastor with Good News Church, Wulari Maiduguri Rev. Baba Gata Ibrahim told Daily Sun in an interview that a pastor in his church, Pastor George Orjih was beheaded on the instruction of the Boko Haram leader because the clergy man refused to accept Islam.”
— ” ‘An eye witness who was also captured by the Islamic militants gave us details of how the pastor was killed. He told us they were persuading him to accept Islam and he said over his dead body. He was even said to have preached Christ to Mohammed Yusuf and that reportedly angered the sect leader who then as he ordered that the pastor and others be killed immediately,’ he disclosed.”

Nigeria: World Council of Churches (WCC) Head Presses Nigeria to ‘Ensure’ Security after Muslim Attacks

— ICC Petition for Nigerian Government (PDF)

— Electronically Sign ICC Petition Online

— ICC urges Americans to call the Nigerian embassy at 202-986-8400, or fax at 202-362-6541

— See Reports:
— August 6, 2009
Nigeria: Update on Attacks on 20 Churches, 3 Christian Pastors Killed

— July 30, 2009
Nigeria: ICC reports: “Extremists Kill Pastor, Raze Churches in Nigeria” — Boko Haram group attacks

Nigeria: Update — Extremists Kill Three Pastors, Raze Twenty Churches
— ICC reports on update:
— ICC “has received additional details on attacks by extremists against Christians and churches in Maiduguri, Nigeria.  ICC first reported this story on July 29 (‘Extremists Kill Pastor, Raze Churches in Nigeria’).  We have now learned that the Islamists killed 12 Christians, including three pastors, and razed twenty churches.”
— ICC reports that group Boko Haram “opposes Western education and fights to impose Sharia law throughout Nigeria, including areas that are majority Christian.”

— Note this is 15 more churches than originally reported!

—- ICC Petition for Nigerian Government (PDF)

—- Electronically Sign ICC Petition Online

—- ICC urges Americans to call the Nigerian embassy at 202-986-8400, or fax at 202-362-6541

—- July 30, 2009: Nigeria: ICC reports: “Extremists Kill Pastor, Raze Churches in Nigeria” — Boko Haram group attacks

Nigeria: ICC reports: “Extremists Kill Pastor, Raze Churches in Nigeria”
— ICC “has learned that extremists killed a pastor and razed five churches in the city of Maiduguri, Nigeria on July 27.  The extremists also attacked two churches in the Nigerian city of Potiskum.  Yakubu Sabo, a husband and father of seven, was hacked to death with a machete by members of violent Islamic militant group known as Boko Haram (which means ‘education is prohibited’). Sabo pastored a Church of Christ congregation in Maiduguri.”
— ICC reports “Boko Haram opposes Western education and is waging jihad to impose Sharia law throughout Nigeria, including areas where Christians are the majority.”