Nigeria: Islamic militants murder pastors and kidnap congregants from Evangelical Church Winning All denomination
by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Fulani militants and other Muslim extremists have murdered six pastors and kidnapped 27 congregants from Nigeria’s Evangelical Church Winning All this year alone, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Most recently, on July 25, Pastor Moses Dikko Usman was abducted by Islamic militants in Kaduna state, ICC reports.
Previously, Reverend Adamu Baba was murdered by Islamic militants on July 5 in Kaduna state. Pastor Nehemiah Ezekiel was killed on April 5, and Pastor Igma Dogari, Pastor Bulus Bayi, and Pastor Yakubu Waziri were killed earlier this year on account of their faith.
On May 9, Reverend Matthew Moses was abducted in Katsina state, and on June 16, Pastor Ahmadu Maikudi and two other members were taken in Kaduna state, ICC said. On July 15, the wife of Reverend Emmanuel Bako was abducted in Kaduna.
On June 21, militants attacked an ECWA congregation in Kaduna state and kidnapped 15 women and five men, ICC said. The militants also killed Reverend Ezra Shamaki, who was serving as a missionary there.
Asking for prayer in a statement to ICC, James Saleh of ECWA’s Evangelical Missionary Society said: “Ask God to comfort the family of the late Rev. Ezra Shamaki, our missionary serving in Kurmin Musa DCC, who was shot dead by terrorists. The terrorists kidnapped his wife, and they are yet to make any contact…Many of our mission fields across the region are increasingly facing threats of attacks from terrorist herders/bandits and kidnap syndicates who continue to terrorize residents.”
“Please pray for the safety of the ECWA denomination in Nigeria,” ICC requested in its report.
Nigeria ranked number one in the world last year for the number of Christians killed by Islamic militants.
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