Nigeria – Abduction of School Girls
On April 14th, members of an Islamic Extremist group called Boko Haram drove to a small town called Chibok with 7 pick-up trucks. They set fire on government buildings and schools and abducted more 270 school girls. Most of the girls were 16 to 18 years old, and about 160 of them were Christians. When they are abducted, they are usually sold to slavery for $12 or forced into marriage to Boko Haram members. Experts suspect that many girls are already dispersed into different parts of the country or sold into another country across the border, and it is hard to track where they might be at this point.
This is not the first time Boko Haram has threatened the Christian community in Nigeria. Emerging in 2009 under the influence of Al-Qaida, their mission has been to rid of all non-muslim influence in northern Nigeria. Since then, they abducted hundreds of women and killed thousands of people, mostly who are Christians. One source says they killed more than 3,000 people in last five years.
With this increased violence in the area, many Christians in Nigeria are voicing against Boko Haram, joining together in prayers and fasting. Also, they are constantly exposed to dangers of persecutions, and many missionaries report that they had to pull out from the region because of the immediate danger. The situation is still on-going at this very moment, and they urge Christians all over the world to pray for them.
Prayer Requests:
Articles for More Information:
Voice of Martyrs
http://www.persecution.com/public/prayermap.aspx?clickfrom=%3d73696465626172
Missions Network News
http://www.mnnonline.org/news/evacuations-due-boko-haram-violence/
Christian Post