On Sunday 21 August, four nuns were abducted while travelling on a highway in southeast Nigeria.
The sisters were on their way to Sunday mass when a group of unidentified gunmen stopped their vehicle and kidnapped them.
While Nigeria has seen high numbers of kidnappings, they mostly occur in the northern regions of the country. This recent incident marks a concerning trend of the violence moving further south.
The convent the nuns belong to released the details of their abduction and is urging the international community to pray for their safe return. In a public statement, the convent said, “We implore for intense prayer for their quick and safe release.”
This is the latest of many incidents involving the abduction or murder of Christians in Nigeria this year. Earlier this week, International Christian Concern reported yet another attack on a Christian farming community in Nigeria’s Benue State. Fulani militants drove into the village at 9pm, scattering the villagers into the surrounding bush.
A local, Mrs Salome Tor, told the ICC, “The attackers came when the farmers were tired from the farm work. They were ready to eat their night meal and to sleep.”
The militants were armed with AK-47 rifles and machetes, another local told the ICC. “They were all on motorcycles, holding guns, and shouting Allah Akbar [Allah is great].”
Six men who could not escape were killed.
Source: International Christian Concern
Please Pray
Pray for the safe return of the four nuns who were abducted.
Pray for protection over church leaders in Nigeria who face serious daily threats.
Pray that the Nigerian government would take a stand against these repeated attacks.