Six pastors were killed and 27 congregants of the Evangelical Church Winning All were kidnapped this year by Fulani militants and other extremists reports Morning Star News.
The most recent abduction was on 25 July, when Pastor Moses Dikko Usman was kidnapped in Nigeria’s Kaduna state.
On 21 June, an attack in Kaduna state led to the abduction of fifteen women and five men as well as the death of Reverend Ezra Shamaki, who was serving as a missionary in Kaduna. James Saleh, who works for the ECWA’s Evangelical Missionary Society, asked for prayer about the situation, “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.”
Mac Philipps, another employee of the Evangelical Missionary Society, described the June 21 attack. “At about 7 a.m., one of our missionaries was leading a prayer meeting when herdsmen stormed the village, killing and destroying anything in sight. The armed terrorists stormed the prayer house, met them praying, and opened fire on the missionary. The herdsmen then abducted all the women in the church, and many other men and women in the community, and left. Continue to pray for God’s protection upon our missionaries who are constantly in the line of fire, yet they have remained courageous to continue serving Him in various mission fields.”
Reverend Adamu Baba was killed by extremists on 5 July in Kaduna state. His wife and seven children survive him. Pastor Nehemiah Ezekiel was killed on 5 April when an ECWA station was attacked. Pastor Igma Dogari, Pastor Bulus Bayi and Pastor Yakubu Waziri were killed this year because of their faith.
In the Kaduna state of Nigeria, two members of the ECWA church were killed. Pastor Ahmadu Maikudi and two other members were taken in an abduction on 16 June. On 15 July, Reverend Emmanuel Bako’s wife was abducted and on May 9, Reverend Matthew Moses was taken in Katsina state. And Reverend Mamuda Lakwadon was hurt during an attack near Abuja.
Saleh spoke on the rising security threat in Nigeria, saying, “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. As the security situation in the country continues to deteriorate, our missionaries are increasingly facing grave danger.”
Phillips commented to Morning Star News that “To preach the gospel for us is to die, to be safe is to stop preaching the gospel. It’s a choice we all have to make – for us, we choose the former. The gospel in Nigeria cannot be preached without casualties. Our lives are increasingly on the line, but nothing compares to the excellency of sharing the gospel to a dying world without Christ.”