UPDATE: Nigeria: suspects in blasphemy case released

UPDATE: Nigeria: suspects in blasphemy case released
Christian Center in Abuja, Nigeria, Feb. 2016 (World Watch Monitor) A court in Nigeria’s northern city of Kano has freed five people detained in relation with the killing of a pastor’s wife who had been accused of blasphemy. Bridget Agbahime, 74, wife of Mike Agbahime, pastor of Deeper Life Bible . . . Read More

Nigeria considers giving Islamic appeals courts authority to take criminal cases

Nigeria considers giving Islamic appeals courts authority to take criminal cases
A Sharia court in northern Nigeria.Courtesy of Open Doors   The situation Nigeria’s National Assembly is considering a change to the country’s constitution that would expand the scope of jurisdiction of the country’s Islamic Sharia courts of appeal. Currently, the constitution limits those appellate courts to matters concerning family law. . . . Read More

Boko Haram ‘more deadly terror group’ in 2014 than IS

Boko Haram ‘more deadly terror group’ in 2014 than IS
Boko Haram was the world’s deadliest terror group in 2014, ahead of the self-proclaimed Islamic State, according to a report released on 18 Nov. by the Institute of Economics & Peace. It was responsible for 6,664 deaths in 2014, more than any other terrorist group in the world, according to the Global . . . Read More

2014: A year of particular concern

2014: A year of particular concern
If ever there were a year that made plain the importance of religious freedom, 2014 was it, according to the just-released annual report by an American government advisory group. “By any measure, the horrors of the past year speak volumes about how and why religious freedom and the protection of the . . . Read More

Nigeria’s Christians flee ahead of election

An exodus of Christians from the mainly Muslim city of Kano, the commercial centre of northern Nigeria, is taking place because of fears of violence ahead of this weekend’s elections. Thousands are cramming onto coaches and heading to the east or south-west of the country. ‘Kano is closing for business . . . Read More