Unrest Continues in Nigeria

March 9, 2010—Nomadic herdsmen from the Fulani tribe reportedly attacked several villages in the area around Jos, Nigeria, last weekend, killing several hundred members of a local Christian tribe, Christian Reformed World Missions staff says.

News reports suggested that the attackers were avenging the deaths of Muslims killed by Christians during fighting in January.

CRWM missionaries in Nigeria reported that on Sunday morning Jos was quiet. People gathered for church services and people were urged to be cautious and to remain alert. By mid-day, reports of the killings overnight began to emerge.

"On Monday, tensions ran high in Jos and its surrounding areas," CRWM reported. "Rumors and rumblings of violence swirled about leading many to close their shops and return home." But the day turned out to be quiet, with an “uneasy calm” in the city and surrounding areas.

"We ask that you continue to pray that peace might settle on this area," says Ron Geerlings, CRWM’s director of missions work in West Africa.

"The tensions and violence are complex and confusing. The tensions are not only 'religious' in nature, but also driven by ethnicity, control of the land and political affiliation. These tensions are further compounded by the confusion surrounding the health of Nigeria's President Yar a'dua - who has not been seen for months."

Geerlings says the Christian Reformed Church asks for continued prayers "as the people of Plateau State walk a long path of grieving, healing and rebuilding trust."

—CRC Communications

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