[Today’s Prayer] “Nigeria, about 8,000 Christians were murdered last year”
At least 8,000 Christians were murdered and more than 500 churches were destroyed in Nigeria in 2023, the American Christian Post reported.
The Intersociety for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law, based in Anambra, Nigeria, recently reported that at least 8,222 Christians were killed across Nigeria between January 2023 and January 2024.
This statistical data was collected based on highly reliable media reports, government reports, reports from international human rights organizations and eyewitness accounts.
The Intersociety identified radical Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram and other Islamic extremist groups as the main culprits of the massacre, and reported that many of the victims were killed by Nigerian security forces. States such as Benue, Plateau, Kaduna and Niger were among the hardest hit, with thousands of Christians kidnapped and hundreds of churches destroyed, the group reported.
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According to the report, the number of Christian deaths was highest in Benue State with 1,450, followed by Plateau State with 1,400, Kaduna and Niger States with 822 and 730, respectively. In addition, more than 8,400 Christians were kidnapped nationwide, many of whom did not return alive.
In addition, 500 churches have been terrorized in 2023 alone, and a total of 18,500 churches have been terrorized since 2009.
According to the report, 70 Christian clergy have been kidnapped in Nigeria this year alone, and at least 25 of them have lost their lives. These attacks have affected not only individuals but entire communities, with more than 300 Christian communities looted in 2023. In particular, in Benue State, the scale of damage is significant, with millions of internally displaced people occurring.
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Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. (Luke 6:22-23)
We hear that Christian persecution in Nigeria has become more severe, with people being kidnapped, church communities being destroyed, and countless people losing their lives.
Lord, our refuge, we ask that you protect our Nigerian brothers and sisters who are suffering and persecuted. Would you visit the affected areas and those who have lost their families, comfort them, and tell them that they are a blessing.
May all the pain and suffering they receive for the Lord turn into confessions of joy and gratitude, and may you give the Nigerian people the faith to overcome without compromising against the powers of the world.
When the Nigerian people follow Jesus Christ wholeheartedly under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, let them bear witness to the kingdom of God that rules this land. May God's love be spread beyond Nigeria and throughout Africa, and may there be a history of revival in which many of the Lord's people return.
Therefore, let them enjoy the joy of God's kingdom together and let the sound of praising only Jesus Christ, the King of kings, resound among the countless peoples in Nigeria and Africa!
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