Prayer sought for African believers after Baptists killed in Nigerian Election

Prayer sought for African Believers after Baptists killed in Nigerian Election Rioting

By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service
JOS, NIGERIA (ANS) -- An African Baptist leader is asking Christians to pray for their brothers and sisters in Christ following the deaths of at least 12 Nigerian Baptists who were killed and five Baptist churches burned during riots sparked by local election results in November.

Motunrayo Adegbilero, a Nigerian who is President of the Baptist Women's Union of Africa (BWUA), informed the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) that "churches are being burned and Christians are being killed in Jos, the capital of Plateau State of Nigeria."

BWA explained that Plateau State lies in central Nigeria, and roughly borders the predominantly Muslim north and the mainly Christian south of the country. It also says tensions between Christians and Muslims have risen in recent times in the most populous African nation of almost 150 million people.

Local elections held in Jos on November 28 and 29 led to riots amid rumors that the candidate supported mainly by Christians had won the elections, even though the results were not officially declared. Clashes between Christians and Muslims led to wide scale assaults.

Adegbilero stated that "the death toll is about 400 now," and that "the dead are both Christians and Muslims." Several thousand persons were reportedly injured and an estimated 10,000 displaced.

Baptist Press (BP) reported that "dozens of churches, mosques, businesses and homes were burned in Jos." According to BP, "One Baptist church lost five members and one deacon," and that the affected church is housing victims of the violence. Other Baptist churches are also housing persons displaced by the violence. Baptist families are giving shelter to students that were boarding at a local Baptist high school.

Jos, a city of roughly 500,000 inhabitants, experienced similar violence between Christians and Muslims in 2001 over a political appointment. Over a two-week period, from September 7-17, more than 1,000 people died during the conflicts.

More than 10,000 persons are estimated to have died in sectarian clashes between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria since 1999.

"Please pray for Nigeria," Adegbilero urged Baptists everywhere.

Nigeria has one of the largest Baptist memberships in Africa. The Nigerian Baptist Convention has 2.5 million members in 9,300 churches, and the Mambilla Baptist Convention has almost 23,000 members in 255 churches.