Story number 1 for 19 Dec 2002

(Nigeria)–Topping the news, rioting in Nigeria’s Plateau State last week has claimed the life of a prominent pastor and two members of his family. Voice of the Martyrs’ Gary Lane says the extremist Muslim mob targeted the Christians, a pattern that is likely to continue. “Radical Muslims in Nigeria want to impose Sharia law, not only on the 12 states of Nigeria that have already enacted it, but they want to impose it on the other states, and these are Christian areas. The one state that they are particularly targeting at this time is Plateau state.” Lane says in spite of the dangers, believers continue their work. Please pray. “Church buildings are being destroyed, and Christians and their pastors, the Christian leaders are being gunned down, and targeted and killed, but that isn’t stopping the growth of the church. The church in Nigeria is growing more than ever. But, we’re losing some good people; we’re losing some strong leaders-those who are standing up to the imposition of Sharia law.”