The Nigerian army has had some success subduing Islamist group Boko Haram, but Christians are still being killed in Nigeria. Many of the killings are carried out by nomadic Hausa-Fulani herdsmen, a largely Muslim ethnic group that frequently targets the more settled Christian farming communities of central Nigeria. Meanwhile, 12 of Nigeria’s northern states employ Sharia (Islamic law), and Christians in these states face discrimination and restrictions in accessing community resources, such as clean water, health clinics, and higher education.
Nigeria in ‘Hezbollah’ arrests
Authorities in Nigeria say they’ve arrested three Lebanese nationals in connection with a cache of weapons found in an underground bunker in the northern city of Kano, the BBC reports. The weapons include 11 anti-tank weapons and mines, an RPG, two artillery guns and ammunitions including AK47 rifles. The authorities […]
Boko Haram ‘on verge of seizing control of Borno State’ after pastor’s death
Rev. Faye Pama Musa, CAN Secretary for Borno, was killed in his home by suspected Boko Haram members.World Watch Monitor Borno State in Northern Nigeria has been teetering on the brink of a takeover by Islamist militant group Boko Haram, warned its Governor, Kassim Shettima, a few days before […]
Musa murder linked to Boko Haram
Rev. Faye Pama Musa, secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Borno State, was shot and killed yesterday (May 14). Musa’s murder came on the day President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa. Various reports in the region have linked the murder […]
Nigeria – Taraba State violence over funeral procession leaves at least 39 dead
Security forces have been enforcing a 24-hour curfew in Wukari, Taraba State in Central Nigeria to prevent the escalation of violence between Christians and Muslims on Friday 3 May that left at least 39 people dead and at least 30 injured. The bloody clash between the majority Christian Jukun community […]
Goodluck Jonathan’s amnesty gamble
A month ago, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said he would not negotiate with the militant Islamic sect Boko Haram because they were “ghosts,” faceless adversaries who would not step forward. That was then. This Wednesday, the President is scheduled to formally inaugurate a committee to explore amnesty for Boko Haram […]
Nigeria explores amnesty for Boko Haram
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday made good on an idea he has been floating for a week: He formed a committee to explore amnesty for Boko Haram. The government released a statement that the panel will “constructively engage key members of Boko Haram and define a comprehensive and workable framework for […]
Kano bus bomb prompts religious leaders to joint call for urgent measures
A car bomb attack in a Christian enclave of Kano, the largest city in mainly-Muslim northern Nigeria, has heightened religious and ethnic tensions throughout the country. At least 25 people have been killed and at least 60 others injured, following the 18th March suicide bomb attack in a bus station […]
Widest church grouping raises funds for Boko Haram’s almost 800 victims during 2012
The most dangerous country for a Christian to live during 2012 was, arguably, Nigeria. That’s what research for the 2013 edition of the World Watch List shows up: it’s produced by the global Christian organisation Open Doors, whose researchers monitor the persecution of Christians worldwide. “Between November 2011 and October […]
Nigeria – 30 Christians killed in eve of New Year massacres
Thirty people were killed in two separate attacks carried out by armed men ahead of the New Year, in north-eastern Nigeria. 15 people were killed in a single attack which occurred on Sunday 30th, when armed men stormed a church service in Kyachi village, outside Chibok, near Maiduguri. According to […]
Gunmen kill 12 Nigerian Christmas-Eve worshipers
UPDATE: In two separate attacks, gunmen shot and killed 12 worshippers who had gathered for Christmas-Eve services. One attack occurred in the northeaster Nigerian state of Yobe. Among the dead was the church’s pastor, according to news reports. The second attack occurred at a Baptist church in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state. […]