Doctors without Borders (MSF) said a ‘catastrophic humanitarian emergency’ is unfolding at a camp in Bama where 24,000 people have taken refuge from Boko Haram and nearly 200 have starved to death in the past month. Many are traumatised and one in five children are suffering from acute malnutrition. Thirty people die every day due to hunger or illness. MSF's visit to the camp was only possible with an army escort. Violence in Nigeria is widespread, perpetrated by Boko Haram, ethnic groups, farmers and herdsmen who resort to violence. Some acts of violence have religious overtones, and a new generation of Niger Delta militants are threatening war against the state. Government soldiers kill civilians indiscriminately, and police are notorious for extrajudicial murder. Between May 2011 and June 2016 there were 15,588 deaths perpetrated solely by Boko Haram and another 12,962 deaths perpetrated by terrorists and state combined. See:

Pray: for God to move powerfully through Nigeria’s people, bringing healing and reconciliation. (2Ch.6:19)
More: www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-36603419

Nigeria is going to do the painful thing everyone said it has to do: the currency will be allowed to float freely. The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, said that the bank will intervene ‘as the need arises’. A weaker currency will help Nigeria's economy by encouraging import substitution and attracting foreign investors, who have shunned the country for fear of a devaluation. The move will be painful over the short term: inflation was 15.6% in April. The authorities will probably be forced to tighten monetary policy. Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy but it has soaring inflation. This latest action will not magically fix all of Nigeria’s problems - for example, lower oil prices and ongoing oil-production disruptions by the Niger Delta Avengers.

Pray: for honesty and fair trading, and for righteous acts that bring about economic recovery. (1Tim.6:10)
More: www.metalsnews.com/Metals+News/BusinessInsider/The+Business+Insider+The+Money+Game/HEADLINE1102698/Nigeria+is+finally+going+to+do+the+painful+thing+everyone+said+it+has+to+do.htm

On Tuesday night, Amina Ali Nkeki wandered out of a forest, asking for help, accompanied by a baby and a man who claimed to be her husband and the father of the baby. Amina was in poor physical condition, as were the baby and man. They were part of a group asking for help. The man said he had been kidnapped by Boko Haram from the town of Mubi, taken to Sambisa Forest, and married to Amina. Amina was taken to her house in Mbalala, where she was reunited with her mother, Binta Ali. The Sambisa Forest is an ideal hiding place for militants and their explosive devices:recently soldiers have infiltrated the forest and driven many out of their territory, but some are still hiding there. Stop press: the army has rescued a second Chibok girl, Serah Luka, and 97 other women. See:

Pray: for the 200+ still in captivity. Pray for Amina, her husband and baby’s healing and recovery from their ordeals. Pray for the families and the girls living in hope / fear. (Job 5:16)
More: edition.cnn.com/2016/05/18/africa/nigeria-chibok-girl-found/

Christians in Kano, northern Nigeria, expected widespread violence following the killing of a Christian woman last week, but Sunday services passed peacefully. Bridget Patience Agbahime, 74, originally from the southern state of Imo, was ambushed by a mob for allegedly blaspheming against Islam’s prophet. Her husband, the pastor of Deeper Life Bible Church, was with her, but prompt police intervention saved his life. Mrs Agbahime was a quiet woman who traded in plastic wares, known to respect others; it is doubtful that she could have made any statement of blasphemy. The killing has provoked widespread social media outrage, with calls for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. One Christian group said, ‘Our religious leaders must come out and preach the true tenets of religion, because this violent arrogance is getting too much.’ Christians fear more activism from radical Muslims during Ramadan, traditionally a time of terror and suicide bombings.

Pray: for God to comfort all in mourning and breathe peace into the situation. (2Cor.13:11b)
More: www.worldwatchmonitor.org/2016/06/4500305/

A summit on corruption was held on Thursday in London. For decades Britain and the west have asked poor countries and failed states to address problems with dodgy money (money invested in western banks, stores, estate agents, and offshore). The president of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, came to London to lobby for help regarding tax havens in Nigeria. Buhari sent a letter to England saying, ‘We are embarked on a nationwide anti-corruption campaign. But these efforts are sadly undermined if countries such as your own are welcoming our corrupt to hide their ill-gotten gains in your luxury homes, department stores, car dealerships, private schools and anywhere else that will accept their cash with no questions asked. The role of London’s property market as vessels to conceal stolen wealth has been exposed in court documents, reports, documentaries and more.’ One third of all the trillions hiding offshore are in tax havens linked to the UK, according to Oxfam.

Pray: for God, in His mercy, to regulate governments, city brokers, accountants, lawyers, bankers, etc. (Mt.6:10b)
More: www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/may/10/the-guardian-view-on-corruption-david-cameron-should-look-closer-to-home

  1. WATCHMAN PRAYER POINTS JULY 2016
  2. FAITH UNDER PRESSURE
  3. Nigeria: a midnight raid
  4. Africa: drastic increase in children used in suicide attacks

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