In January Archbishop Justin Welby tweeted his sadness about the killings and displacements in Nigeria. Writing to the country’s primate, Nicholas Okoh, he offered to contribute towards negotiating peace. He has now repeated that offer, saying, ‘My condolences go to those who have lost loved ones and property. I urge the authorities to seek for ways to ameliorate their sufferings and losses. I call on all people of goodwill to continue to pray for the peace of Nigeria. I mourn with this great country and stand with them in prayer. I once again exhort President Buhari and other authorities, civil and religious, national and international, to build a coalition to end this violence immediately.’ Since January 175,000 people have been displaced by fighting in Benue State and are now living in refugee camps.

Pray: for an end to the conflict between the nomadic herdsmen and the farmers who cultivate the land for crops. (Matthew 5:9)

More: www.anglicannews.org/news/2018/03/archbishop-of-canterbury-offers-to-contribute-to-peace-negotiations-in-violence-hit-nigeria.aspx

Last week we praised God for the release of 104 Dapchi school girls by Boko Haram. Five of the 110 girls died and were buried in the bush. What happened to the other girl? Her name is Leah Sharibu, and she defied Boko Haram by refusing to renounce her Christian faith! She is still in captivity. Her father, Nathan Sharibu, said, ‘They gave her the option of converting in order to be released, but she said she will never become a Muslim. I am very sad, but I'm also praising God because my daughter did not renounce Christ.’ Leah sent a message asking her family ‘to pray for the will of God to be done in my life’. What bravery, what faith, what a testimony to the world! One lone Christian girl among 110 defies the abominable Boko Haram. What will happen to her? President Buhari has been asked to ‘uphold the tenets and principles of the Nigerian constitution’. We must pray!

Pray: for Leah to feel God’s comfort and protection, and for Him to destroy Boko Haram by His power. (Deuteronomy 33:27)

More: win1040.com/post.php?id=3354&cat=EPA

According to an ongoing headcount, 100 of the school girls abducted by militants from their boarding school in Dapchi on 19 February were ‘dropped off’ at about 7:30 am on 21 March. Their release was unconditional. ‘Dapchi is full of joy,’ said Mohammed Mdada. He said the militants apologised to some of the girls’ parents in their language, Kanuri, and shook their hands before driving off. They said that if they had known the girls were Muslim they wouldn’t have abducted them. Some reports say that Christian girls had not been released. Amnesty International said four girls are still missing. The terrorists warned the girls to stay away from school, adding that if they returned and found any girls in school they’d abduct them again and never give them back. Although parents are rejoicing, it can be seen that the girls have suffered and are in a poor state.

Praise: God for the girls’ release, but continue to pray for the release of all the Chibok and Dapchi girls still in captivity. May they have complete mental, spiritual, and physical recovery. (Psalm 10:12)

More: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/21/boko-haram-returns-some-of-the-girls-it-kidnapped-last-month

Recent revelations about Cambridge Analytica (CA) tactics to influence elections using data from Facebook accounts and its role in UK and US election votes are the tip of an iceberg. CA has been linked to elections in Czech Republic, India, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Malaysia, Nigeria, and Ukraine. This is a truly worldwide phenomenon. New technologies can be a double-edged sword. Social media has transformed how the public call out the corrupt and demand change. But what happens when the data these tools generate about their users is used as part of a murky process to influence elections? Is this corruption? The now-suspended CEO of CA has said that some emails between the company and its clients automatically self-destruct, leaving no electronic paper trail for investigators looking for election fraud allegations. Also identities of companies working on elections were hidden, presumably through shell companies. ‘No one even knew they were there,’ said another CA executive of an operation in Eastern Europe. See also

Pray: for loopholes in countries’ election processes to be discovered and closed. (Psalm 37:10,11)

More: voices.transparency.org/the-week-in-corruption-23-march-2018-d9903b21b6cd

On 25 February, Nigeria's information minister had a meeting with the family members of 110 girls who were abducted a week earlier. The frustrated families had criticised the government for taking so long to acknowledge the abduction. They presented the minister with a list of names of the missing girls, and complained that officials were being slow to respond. The girls’ fate is not known, but witnesses said the Islamic extremists specifically asked where the girls’ school was located. Some eyewitnesses reported seeing young women taken away at gunpoint. Air Force spokesman Olatokunbo Adesanya said that efforts to locate the girls are being conducted in close liaison with other security forces. It is feared the girls will become brides for Boko Haram extremists. Nigeria's president said no effort will be spared to locate them.

Pray: for the safe return of the 110, and the remaining 100+ Chibok girls abducted in 2014. (Psalm 103:5a)

More: www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/nigeria-parents-release-names-of-105-missing-girls-after-boko-haram-attack/article38105040/

  1. Nigeria: 13 dead in Christian-Muslim clash
  2. Post-Brexit trade opportunities
  3. Nigeria: urgent call to prayer
  4. Nigeria: urgent call to prayer

Page 7 of 47