An explosive device was discovered last Thursday near the tuck shop at St Aloysius Catholic School in Garki , Abuja. The bomb was safely defused, although the parents and local residents were extremely alarmed. However, the situation is still far from safe for Christians in the volatile northern and central states of Nigeria.
Seven dead in market shooting
Gunmen stormed a marketplace in Maiduguri last week, opening fire on the traders. Seven were killed.
Most of those who died came from the predominantly Christian south eastern area of Nigeria, and may have been targeted for their religious beliefs. CSW continues to pray and campaign for an end to this kind of religiously-motivated violence.
"Joining forces to stop the violence"
Muslim and Christian young people gathered at the weekend to break the Ramadan fast together, building bridges and fostering peaceful relations between the two communities. Muslim youths hosted over one hundred Christian young people at the prestigious Sultan Bello Mosque on Saturday 21 July.
The event was organised by the Christian-Muslim Youth Peace Initiative of Nigeria. The Christian Co-Chairman Mr Diki Obadiah Haruna said, "Our objective is to build bridges across different segments of society where we will be our brothers' keeper without differences."
Urgent: please keep up your prayers
We were delighted that there were no reported assaults on churches last weekend. But the Christians of Nigeria still desperately need your prayers.
Please pray:
- For the pupils and teachers at the school in Abuja, that they would feel safe whilst learning.
- That those responsible for violent attacks would be brought to justice.
- For the families of those injured or killed, that God would comfort them at this difficult time.
- For the Christian-Muslim Youth Peace Initiative of Nigeria and other initiatives aiming to bring peace between the Christian and Muslim communities.
- That God would protect churches and Christians in northern and central Nigeria.