November 2023
Warkan-Gora and Bafae-Gida were repeatedly attacked by Fulani herdsmen and suffered loss of lives and properties. Many of the houses in the communities were burnt and destroyed leaving the people with no other option but to flee.
With the change of government in May 2023, the attacks eased off and the people started returning to their ancestral land. Unfortunately, they could neither rebuild their houses nor provide basic amenities.
Putoki, Gombe State
23rd October 2023
The combination of hyperinflation and attacks on farmers have created a disastrous food crisis for Nigeria. The group most affected are the persecuted Christians in northern Nigeria who daily are running for their lives while looking for food to eat. Without certain dwelling place, no financial power, and dispossessed of their properties, the persecuted Christians in most parts of northern Nigeria are facing food crisis.
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20-year-old Irmiya (Jeremiah) was involved in cooking gas explosion in Jalingo, Taraba state, and he was brought to Yola, Adamawa, for treatment. He sustained serious injuries which affected his two arms and his genital area. Due to lack of funds to pay for his treatment, his two hands got rotten and fell off. By the time sympathizers contacted the Representative of Lay Faithful Trust Foundation in Yola the two forearms had to be amputated. Treatment commenced immediately with funds provided by Lay Faithful Trust Foundation to stem the spread of gangrene and prevent the loss of the entire arm.
The list below is extracted from The Religion of Peace (TROP) website: https://www.thereligionofpeace.com/attacks/attacks.aspx?Yr=2023].
In the past quarter between July 2 and Sept 27 2023 Three hundred and Fifty-eight (358) people were killed by Islamic Jihadists in 55 attacks in Nigeria. One hundred and Fifty-four others sustained various degrees of injuries, but managed to survive these attacks.
The second phase of the fertilizer empowerment project for Christian IDPs in Kaduna state took place from 17th to 21st August 2023. Phase One of the project was conducted on 15-18 June 2023. Usually, fertilizer is applied twice by the farmers during the farming season for maximum effectiveness.
The objective of the empowerment project is to assist the Christian IDPs attain some measure of economic independence for self-sustenance. From the reports that followed the projects in 2022, many of the IDPs benefitted greatly from the fertilizer projects. Regrettably, the scope of the project this year was restricted to Kaduna state when compared with the projects last year.
Mangu LGA of Plateau state was a relatively peaceful area until Fulani militia unleashed wave after wave of attacks on the Christian community. The unprovoked attacks started in May 2023 resulting in the brutal killing of unarmed men, women, and children.
According to local reports, Fulani militia orchestrated the attacks across different communities in the LGA. The killings were brutal and merciless. Over 100 people were killed in Mangu while 32,383 were reportedly displaced.
Lay Faithful Trust Foundation conducted relief distribution of clothes and medications to persecuted Christians in Warkan-Gora in July. The brethren in the community were attacked by Muslim insurgents in which 37 families suffered various degrees of injuries. 45 houses in Warkan-Gora were burnt and 8 women became widows.
We Your children come to You this day according to Your word in 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV): “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
National Christians Elders Forum (NCEF) progressively considered and reviewed the state of the country as Nigeria prepares for decisive elections from February 2023. The Christian Elders assessed the state of preparedness of the country as well as the crucial need for Nigerians to vote into office competent, trustworthy, and capable leaders.
Following the deliberations of the Christian Elders, National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF), passed the following resolutions:
On 13th and 18th December 2022, Fulani herdsmen attacked Kaura LGA of Southern Kaduna. In the unprovoked and unwarranted attacks, 40 Christians were murdered, 178 houses were burnt (102 houses in Mallagum alone), 29 motorcycles were destroyed, and 2 cars were burnt.
On Monday 6th February 2023, a sister tearfully narrated the oppression of Christian communities in Gombe State. The Christian-populated communities are currently being assailed by Fulani Muslims who are serially removing the Christian village heads and replacing them with Fulani Muslims. She narrated that a member of her family, who is the head of her village, is being forced to go into exile so that a Fulani Muslim can take over rulership of the Christian village. The account was sad and provocative.
On 13th and 18th December 2022, Fulani herdsmen attacked Kaura LGA area of Southern Kaduna. In the unprovoked and unwarranted attacks 40 Christians were murdered, 178 houses were burnt (102 houses in Mallugum alone), 29 motorcycles were destroyed, and 2 cars were burnt. The attackers turned 17 women into widows, due to the unprovoked attacks.
As Nigerians, the commitment in our Independence National Anthem in 1960 was that ‘Though tribes and tongues may differ, in brotherhood we stand’. Nigeria thereby enunciated the principle of ‘Unity in Diversity’.
Lay Faithful Trust Foundation conducted another round of relief distribution to Christian IDPs in Jalingo, Taraba State, in December 2022. Three IDP camps, listed above, were covered in the exercise. Items distributed include rice, noodles, palm oil, salt, and groundnut oil..
5th December 2022
The Women of Faith of the St. Peter's Igbo Anglican Church, Hamilton, New Jersey, USA, in collaboration with the Lay Faithful Trust Foundation of Nigeria, conducted humanitarian relief distributions at two orphanages in Awka, Anambra State on Monday, 5th December 2022.
