Christian Woman, Son and Daughter Killed in Plateau State, Nigeria
Nigeria (Morning Star News) – A Christian woman and her two children were killed in north-central Nigeria last week, three days after a kidnapped priest was slain by his abductors in the southwestern part of the country, sources said.
Armed Muslim Fulani herdsmen on Tuesday (Oct. 24) ambushed and shot to death Rebecca Daniel Choji, her 16-year-old daughter Suzanna Daniel Choji, and her 29-year-old son Joel Choji, in Jol village, Riyom Local Government Area (LGA) in Plateau state, as the family members were on their way to a health facility in Vwak village, sources said.
Suzanna and Joel Choji died immediately, while their mother succumbed to her gunshot wounds two days later at Plateau State Specialist Hospital in Jos, sources said.
Members of the Church of Christ In Nations (COCIN) in Jol village, the three victims were being driven to a hospital by a relative, Dachung Yakubu, as Choji’s two children were ill. The herdsmen attacked at about 7 p.m. and also wounded Yakubu, who at this writing was in critical condition at the Intensive Care Unit at Plateau State Specialist Hospital, sources said.
The attack was the latest by herdsmen on Christian communities in Plateau state’s Riyom, Barkin Ladi, Bokkos, and Bassa LGAs.
“We have been under attack constantly from these Fulani herdsmen because we are Christians,” Gyang Dahoro, 55, an area COCIN congregation elder, told Morning Star News by text message. “Our villages have been ravaged, and our houses and churches destroyed, and in most cases these herdsmen have taken over the villages where Christians have been displaced.”
He added that the woman and her two children were some of the “Christians killed in recent times as the herdsmen in collaboration with Boko Haram continue to invade our communities.”
The attack came a week after similar assaults were carried out in villages around Miango town, in Bassa LGA.
“We are saddened by yet another attack on our defenseless members in Jol who were on their way to visit a health care center,” Dachalom Datiri, COCIN president, told Morning Star News by phone. “All we can do is to keep praying for an end to these attacks and hope that Nigerian government can halt these senseless killings.”
Emmanuel Jugul, chairman of the Riyom Government Council Management Committee, confirmed the killing of the Christian woman and her two children and the wounding of the fourth relative, as did Tyopev Terna, police spokesman for the Plateau State Command.
“The four persons were going to a clinic when they were attacked by gunmen,” Terna told Morning Star News.
Priest Killed
In southwest Nigeria, a priest with the African Church was killed after being kidnapped by armed Muslim Fulani herdsmen.
The Rev. David Ayeola, 26, was kidnapped at gunpoint in an ambush on Oct. 17 and was shot to death on Oct. 21 after failed rescue efforts by police, sources said.
The priest was a chaplain at the headquarters of the African Church in Akure, Ondo state. A church bishop, his wife and driver escaped capture.
He was kidnapped while traveling to a burial for an in-law of the bishop in Ayegbaju as they drove from Imojo Ekiti, the bishop said in a press statement texted to Morning Star News.
The Rev. Samuel Ojo, bishop of the African Church, a denomination in Nigeria, said that somewhere between Imojo and Oye Ekiti, masked gunmen emerged from the bush, blocked the road and started shooting.
“Our driver attempted to turn back, but he discovered that members of the gang were also coming from the back,” Ojo said. “He suddenly drove into the forest. Myself, my wife, the priest and the driver ran into the bush. I told them to run for their lives, and we fled in different directions. I crawled in the forest like a snake for hours.”
After capturing Ayeola, the armed gunmen phoned church headquarters and demanded 100 million naira (US$275,368) for his release, Ojo said.
“The kidnappers started calling me from the priest’s phone number,” he said. “From their accents, they sounded like Fulani. They were threatening to kill him if we didn’t pay the money. When I offered them 500,000 naira (US$1,375), they insulted me and the church.”
Villagers saw the priest with three armed gunmen at a farm and reported it to police late the night of Oct. 21, he said, and officers from three divisions in Ekiti and Ondo states went into the forest and surrounded the property.
Bishop Ojo said the Fulani gunmen forced police back, and then shot Ayeola as they fled, leaving him to die in the forest.
Adeyemi Ademola, a police spokesman for the Ekiti State Command, confirmed the murder in a statement sent to Morning Star News.
“When the kidnappers noticed that the police and the hunters were coming, they shot the priest and escaped,” Ademola said. “We went after them for a while, but the team had to turn back when it was getting dark. This was to avoid endangering the lives of members of the team in a terrain that the kidnappers may be more familiar with. We took the priest to a general hospital, but sadly, we lost him.”
Ojo said Ayeola, a graduate of the African Church Theological Seminary in Lagos, was ordained two years ago.
“I ordained him in 2015. He was the best at the college of theology in his set,” he said. “He was an excellent and vibrant preacher of the gospel. We are all saddened by his death. We want the police to get the suspects and bring them to book. This is a great loss to the church.”
IDOP 2017: Let Us Be On Their Side
(Voice of the Persecuted) Persecution is real! It can be overwhelming, or even frightening, when learning of all the suffering persecuted Christians experience across the globe, today. When their most dire request is prayer, how do we Pray?
Some of the prayer requests we often hear are,
For endurance to persevere- They ask for courage, and strength to face the day.
- To be comforted and that their immediate needs be met.
- They ask for those who can help to be guided by the Holy Spirit.
When earnestly praying before the Throne of God, He hears and know’s your heart for the persecuted. We may never witness it, but be assured He’s responding to your prayers for the good of our persecuted family in Christ.
Brothers and Sisters, on Sunday 11/5/17 and Sunday 11/12/17 we will have an opportunity to join with millions of other believers around the world lifting up prayers for our persecuted brethren. These two Sundays will be observed as the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP 2017)
IDOP 2017 Prayer Conference Call Event
Dear saints, our prayers do make a difference in the hearts and lives of our persecuted brothers and sisters. Please join us as we lift up prayer on behalf of those who carry the cross of Christ. There will be two 12-hour calls coming up the first two Sundays in November. Info for those calls is below. But even if you are not able to join our prayer calls please do remember the persecuted in your prayers. For everyday should be an International Day of Prayer for our persecuted brethren. Meet you on the call!
Your brother in Christ,
Blaine Scogin
pwprayercall@gmail.com
Serving Jesus as Prayer Director of Voice of the Persecuted and Persecution Watch
Participating Global Advocates
Persecution Watch
SPEAK UP against persecution—DEFEND those discriminated—HELP those in need—PRAY for those suffering.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Location: Any location from your phone
PRINT/DOWNLOAD FLYER IDOP 2017 Prayer Conference Call (please share with pastors, church members, prayer groups)
DATE:
Sunday November 5
Sunday November 12
Time:
9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time
8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central time
7 p.m. to 7 p.m. Mountain time
6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific time
Call Number:
712-775-7035
Access Code:
281207#
International numbers and Mobile App links available
MOBILE APP: Free Conference Call HD also provides a quick and easy way for you to dial into conference calls without having to remember the dial-in credentials. Save all of your conference call dial-in numbers and access codes using this free app. With the Free Conference Call HD you can instantly dial into a conference call via 3G/4G data network and or regular mobile carrier. Google Play link or App Store – iTunes
Available International IDOP Prayer Conference Call Numbers
(Note: If you will be using one of the call numbers below, you may experience issues in your country. If you are unable to connect, try using the VoIP dialer available at this link. Click on VoIP dialer, go to this number 712-775-7035 in the drop down menu—enter access code 281207 (do not add the # symbol)—enter your name and click on the ‘Place Call’ button.)
Australia +61 (0) 3 8672 0185
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Belgium +32 (0) 9 324 29 17
Brazil +55 61 4040-4314
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Latvia +371 67 881 516
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Mexico +52 (01) 899 274 5015
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Norway +47 21 93 53 35
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Panama +507 838-7821
Poland +48 32 739 96 40
Portugal +351 21 114 3145
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Slovakia +421 2 333 255 32
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Spain +34 931 98 23 70
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Taiwan +886 (0) 985 646 917
Turkey +90 (0) 212 988 1713
Ukraine +380 (0) 89 323 9978
United Kingdom +44 (0) 330 606 0527
United States (712) 775-7035
Vietnam +84 (0) 4 7108 0080
The weekly Persecution Watch Prayer Call meets at 9pm EST every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. For more info contact: pwprayercall@gmail.com
Prayer Request from Pakistan (10/26/17)
Port Authorities in Sudan Detain Bible Shipment without Explanation
(Morning Star News) – Authorities in Sudan have detained a container of Bibles in Port Sudan without explanation for at least two years, a source said.
A Bible Society in Sudan representative told Morning Star News the container was one of two containing Arabic Bibles detained more than two years ago. The other container was released shortly after appeals to port authorities.
The detained shipments were destined for Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, said the source, who asked to remain unnamed for security reasons. At present the Bible Society in Sudan does not have a single copy of an Arabic Bible available in Khartoum, he said.
Other shipments of Bibles at Port Sudan, on the Red Sea, have also been detained over the past two years, he added.
A church leader said availability of Bibles and Christian literature in the country is increasingly limited.
“There is difficulty in getting Bibles in the country,” he said.
The Bible Society in Sudan representative said a port official in the past week has been more willing to consider releasing the shipment. Sudan links Christianity with the West, and Christian leaders speculated that Sudan may be opening to releasing the shipment as the U.S. administration lifted sanctions on Oct. 12. The sanctions had been in place since 1997 for Sudan’s terrorist ties and human rights violations.
Port officials were unavailable for comment.
Other international Bible providers have also complained of Sudan detaining shipping containers full of Bibles – usually due to corruption, but in some cases also to keep Judeo-Christian scripture out of the country.
Detainment of Bibles in Sudan also took place before 2011, with one shipment held up for nearly four years, the Bible Society source said.
Following the secession of South Sudan in 2011, President Omar al-Bashir vowed to adopt a stricter version of sharia (Islamic law) and recognize only Islamic culture and the Arabic language. Church leaders said Sudanese authorities have demolished or confiscated churches and limited Christian literature on the pretext that most Christians have left the country following South Sudan’s secession.
The Sudanese Minister of Guidance and Endowments announced in April 2013 that no new licenses would be granted for building new churches in Sudan, citing a decrease in the South Sudanese population.
Sudan since 2012 has expelled foreign Christians and bulldozed church buildings on the pretext that they belonged to South Sudanese. Besides raiding Christian bookstores and arresting Christians, authorities threatened to kill South Sudanese Christians who do not leave or cooperate with them in their effort to find other Christians.
Sudan fought a civil war with the south Sudanese from 1983 to 2005, and in June 2011, shortly before the secession of South Sudan the following month, the government began fighting a rebel group in the Nuba Mountains that has its roots in South Sudan.
Due to its treatment of Christians and other human rights violations, Sudan has been designated a Country of Particular Concern by the U.S. State Department since 1999, and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom recommended the country remain on the list in its 2017 report.
Sudan ranked fifth on Christian support organization Open Doors’ 2017 World Watch List of countries where Christians face most persecution.
Iran: Another Christian Convert Arrested in South-Western Iran
Mohabat News – Another member of the Payam-e Aramesh (Message of Peace) house church in Dezful, Abdol-Ali Pourmand (Elyas) was arrested on October 19, 2017 and transferred to Ahwaz.
Knowledgeable sources told Mohabat News that the security authorities raided Mr. Pourmand’s house when he was working on his farm. Plain-clothes security authorities searched his house thoroughly in his absence and confiscated a few Bibles and Christian CDs.
Later, Mr. Pourmand received a call from the Ministry of Intelligence. He was summoned to their office in Dezful. He went to the ministry’s office and was arrested on the spot.
Three days after his arrest, on October 21, 2017, Mr. Pourmand was allowed to make a short phone call to his family. During the call he told his family that he is told he will not be held there for long.
Mr. Pourmand has been married for two months and is currently separated from his new bride.
Three other Christians have been arrested in Dezful recently. Mohabat News has obtained confirmed reports of them being beaten in prison and threatened that if they don’t renounce their faith in Christ and turn away from their Christian faith they will be forced to leave the country or be beaten to death.
- Read more:No information on the condition of the Christian convert Mohammad Ali Torabi in Iran
- Read more:A Group of Christian Converts Arrested in South-Western Iran
Persecution of Christians in the south-western province of Khuzestan has intensified in the last several weeks, especially in the city of Dezful.
Another member of the Payam-e Aramesh (Message of Peace) house church, Mohammad Ali Torabi, also known as Davoud, had also been arrested at his work place on October 10, 2017. He was transferred to Ahwaz immediately after his arrest. His family was also told that he will be released soon, but he has not yet been released.
The Islamic regime of Iran has been using different methods, including harassment, terror, arrest and heavy sentences to persecute Christians over the last three and a half decades, especially Farsi speaking Christians in the country. Time and time again International Human Rights and Religious
Watchdog organizations have condemned the Islamic regime for its mistreatment of Christians, but they deny all reports of Christian persecution.
Despite Iranian government’s extensive programs for spreading Shi’ite Islam and punishing conversion to other religions by death, embrace of Christianity among Iranians citizens has been on the rise across the country./FARSI
Persecution Watch: Join the Thursday Prayer Call – Palestine (West Bank)
Time: 9:00 PM EST
8:00 PM CST
7:00 PM MST
6:00 PM PST
Call in number: 712 775-7035
Code: 281207#
Federal Court rules World War I ‘Peace Cross’ Memorial must be torn down
(PHOTO: LIBERTY INSTITUTE)
Back in 1925, the American Legion erected a memorial in Bladensburg, Md., to honor the memory of 49 men who perished during World War I.
The 40-foot tall memorial became known as the “Peace Cross.”
In 2014, the American Humanist Association — a group that believes in “being good without a god” — filed a lawsuit alleging the cross-shaped memorial is unconstitutional and demanding it be demolished, altered, or removed.
They alleged the cross carries “an inherently religious message and creates the unmistakable appearance of honoring only Christian servicemen.”
On Wednesday, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed and ruled the historic memorial must be torn down — all because the Bladensburg Memorial is in the shape of a cross.
The Fourth Circuit said the memorial excessively entangles the government in religion because the cross is the “core symbol of Christianity” and “breaches” the wall separating church and state. read the ruling
Writing separately, Chief Judge Gregory wrote, “This Memorial stands in witness to the VALOR, ENDURANCE, COURAGE, and DEVOTION of the forty-nine residents of Prince George’s County, Maryland ‘who lost their lives in the Great War for the liberty of the world.’ I cannot agree that a monument so conceived and dedicated and that bears such witness violates the letter or spirit of the very Constitution these heroes died to defend.”
The American Legion could appeal directly to the Supreme Court. Read More
MORE WAITING by Gary Bertnick
Countless others with expectations
As the trillions of stars beyond eye sight
Many so restless
In nations filled, struggling, tired and bored
Blown about by dry desert winds as sand,
They often stand alone in frustration
Stare at the setting sun
And wonder if it mirrors their own personal life;
Oh, the common human dilemma-
“Without God and without hope”
In this world of “Self” and fear and lust, pride and greed and confusion!
Yet, the fire of Israel’s Messiah, His Holy Spirit zeal burns powerfully
A holy fire of Love
Peacefully tempered, displayed with greatest Wisdom from Heaven;
All footsteps divinely ordered
Even those many knowingly established by their Lord of Truth.
Today a shout from Heaven shakes the Earth
And all that are on it-
Nothing by chance, luck a foolish notion;
There are no random circumstances!
Blazing eyes gaze within a Royal Robe of Compassion
Each soul seen as precious
Every human life of great value
“More than many sparrows”,
The death of the wicked not a delight of the Lord
But met with sadness at the eternal loss;
Male and female, young and old
Rich and poor, near and far away
All longed for, yearned to draw closer to Kingdom reality.
Their cost greater than all gold
Their price more than all silver
Highly valued gems and diamond stones as gravel compared to what God has “spent”!
The God of Love moves always among us,
Angels of power as well
Disciples of the Master walk in faithfulness
Selfless men and women discerned as true
Who know the price of salvation
Who carry their cross daily;
The weight of eternity for mankind upon our Savior’s shoulders
Carried daily for us all,
The billions seen or unseen far beyond digital screens
Each one with a flame of foreknowledge hanging over their heads;
We bow in prayerful honor,
Seek only good, pray only for peace
Then pick up our Sword of Truth
With Holy Spirit power of Living Words
And wage a Holy War for this our lost generation!
VOICE OF THE PERSECUTED 