THE
P RTAL
May 2016
Page 20
Aid to the Church in Need
ACN’s work in Nigeria
M
any Christians in Africa live under the shadow of constant threat from Islamist terror group
Boko Haram, but perhaps none more so than the people of north-east Nigeria. Attacks carried out by
Boko Haram, a name which means ‘Western Education is forbidden’, and the widespread insecurity it has
caused, have devastated Christian communities in Africa’s most populous country.
In 2015, Aid to the Church in Need received a report
produced by the Diocese of Maiduguri which detailed
the extent of the parish’s suffering over the past nine
years. The report estimates that over 5,000 Catholic
faithful have been killed and 100,000 displaced. The
violence has left 7,000 widows and 10,000 orphans.
More than 350 churches in the diocese lie in ruins,
leaving 26 priests and more than 30 sisters displaced.
Haram. Other examples of aid include child’s Bibles
for children in the capital, Abuja, the construction of a
chapel at a maternity hospital in Osogbo run by Sisters
and the formation of seminarians in Zaria, where
extremism is widespread.
During his visit to ACN offices in Brazil, Archbishop
Ignatius Kaigama, the President of the Episcopal
Conference of Nigeria, discussed the issue of religious
Though the Nigerian government has made a persecution in Nigeria. He reminded invited guests of
concentrated effort to confront Boko Haram, the the anniversary of the girl’s kidnapping.
future for the country’s Christians remains uncertain.
Children are unable to receive an education as a
Archbishop Kaigama said, “Imagine that they are in
result of the turmoil. Of the diocese’s 40 primary and the hands of the group which rapes, tortures, starves
secondary schools, 30 have been abandoned.
and isolates them, and forces them to marriage or to
conversion to Islam. Because of all that I am asking
In April 2014 Boko Haram grabbed international you for a minute of prayer in their intention.”
headlines when they attacked a school in Chibok
and kidnapped 276 girls, the majority of whom
According to the Global Terrorism Index published
were Christian. A video was released soon after the by the Institute for Economics and Peace, Boko Haram
abduction of the students, showing them dressed in killed more people than Daesh (ISIS) in 2014. In one
traditional Islamic dress and reciting verses from attack alone, they killed more than 2,000 people, the
the Qur’an. Reports have since emerged suggesting majority of whom were women, elderly, and children.
many of the schoolgirls have not only been forcibly
converted to Islam but also married off to Boko Haram
Through the generous donations of benefactors,
members. As the second anniversary of the girls’ ACN is working to rebuild the lives of Christians in
abduction approached, the majority remained lost.
Nigeria. Fr George Odafe, from the Archdiocese of
Kaduna in northern Nigeria, is just one of the people
Marking the anniversary of the kidnapping, Carnegie- whose life was changed by ACN’s support. ACN
Medal nominated author Corinna Turner released her continues to fund Fr George’s studies and others in
latest book which retells the Chibok girls’ story – but their ministries in spreading the word of the Gospel.
with the events transferred to the UK. Someday, which
was released on 15th April, reimagines the abduction of
To find out more about Aid to the Church in Need’s
the 276 schoolgirls in Britain, asking what could have work in Nigeria or to purchase Someday by Corinna
been different if the mass kidnapping had occurred Turner, please visit the charity’s website: www.acnuk.
over here.
org/nigeria
The author was inspired to write the novella after
initial media interest began to fade. All proceeds
of Miss Turner’s book are going to ACN, which is
supporting persecuted Christians in Nigeria.
ACN has a number of ongoing projects in the country
including help for internal refugees displaced by Boko
contents page
Clare Creegan
co-authored Aid to the Church in
Need’s Persecuted and Forgotten?
A report on Christians oppressed for their
Faith 2013 – 2015
www.acnuk.org
[email protected] - 020 8642 866