Prayers for Nigeria - Dr. Sunday Agang and Dr. Bulus Galadima

  Over the last week, our attention and prayers have been focused on Haiti.  We continue to pray for so many who have lost so much including loved ones and homes.   Today, we ask you to add Nigeria to your prayer list.  Specifically, we ask you to pray for Jos ECWA Theological Seminary (JETS) and its leadership in this trying time.  Three CISF Scholar-Leaders serve on the faculty there, including the Provost, Dr. Bulus Galadima and his wife Dr. Rose Galadima, and the Academic Dean, Dr. Sunday Agang.   On Monday, we received word that violence had broken out between Muslims and Christians in Jos.  The situation has escalated.  The Associated Press reports more than 200 dead and thousands displaced because of the fighting.  Please pray for wisdom for these CISF scholars as they make decisions and seek peace in their city.   Read their prayer requests below.

 

Another Renewed Round of Violence in Jos

While the whole world was mourning and grieving the loss of lives and property in earthquake-hit-Haiti, human premeditated violence stroke the city of Jos. Jos, the capital of Plateau State in North Central Nigeria, was thrown into another round of violence when unsuspected church goers were attacked by unprovoked Muslim youth. "Muslim youths on Sunday [January 17, 2010] attacked Christian worshipers unprovoked" said the Commissioner of Police, Plateau State, Mr. Gregory Ayankiang.

The students of ECWA Theological Seminary Jos (JETS), who have just returned from their Christmas break to start the semester, were thrown into confusion. They had finished their registration a week ago; and every one of them was excited and thrilled to start the semester. Lecturers who have been preparing to teach also came to school on Monday to begin the new semester in earnest.

All that changed. Monday classes had to be cancelled when we learned that the Muslim youth shot one of our undergraduate students, Shem Daniel, on his way back from church service on Sunday.  He was rushed to one of the hospitals in town unconscious. He eventually died from the gun shots on Monday morning.

In the midst of the confusion, some Muslims who usually pass through the seminary compound to their irrigation farm came and wanted to pass to the farm. But our students sent them back because of the tension that was mounting. If it were Christians who went into a Muslim community like that the Muslims would have killed them.

To encourage each other after the devastating news of our student's passing on to glory, the school management decided that we should have chapel. During the chapel worship, the Provost, Associate Prof. Bulus Galadima read from Psalms 23:1-6 and Isaiah 40:1-29. He reminded us that "Our emotions are not trustworthy."  In times of crisis the Bible should be our sole guide. He emphasized the fact that the Word of God is the greatest comfort we have in times like these. "God is still in control," Galadima reassured JETS community.

Prayers were said on behalf of those whose loved ones have been killed or wounded. Toward Monday evening the situation seemed under the security operatives' control.  JETS management even decided that we could proceed with classes on Tuesday. But Tuesday morning things turned for the worst. After their morning prayer, the Muslims went wild, massacring innocent people. Jos has again been turned to a battle field.

January 19, 2010, Tuesday, the fighting started at 7:10AM. From my house in the seminary campus I could hear frequent gun shots. The gun shots were accompanied by burning of used tires, cars, houses, churches, business premises and worse still human remains.  

At 10:00am the tension got overwhelming to the extent that the state government had to impose a 24 hours curfew on Jos city and its environ, Bukuru. In spite of the curfew the fighting still persisted. At 12:00 noon the smoke from all the burnings of things in the city hovered over the city; creating ecological hazard. People are stranded in their houses without food and water. Some are without shelter. "The refugees are without food, water and blankets" said the Director of Global Relief and Emergency Response Mission in Jos. Worse still, with this crisis, there may be no end to the food crisis in Jos.

We had to cancel Tuesday classes again. I was standing with several students when some strayed bullets started flying into our seminary campus. We immediately dispersed the students back to their hostels for safety.

The parents of our late students wanted to come and pick the remains of their son on Tuesday. But due to the high tension, they were advised not to come for the corpse. Besides Shem Daniel, many other people have lost their lives in the violence; and over 4,000 people have been displaced. As in any violence of this magnitude, many people are looking for their missing people.

No one ever thought that barely one year after the violence that hit Jos metropolis and environ on November 28, 2008, the city will again be attacked by people who do not want to give peace a chance. This upraising, along with others that took place in Maiduguri and Bauchi in 2009, culminating in Boko Haram and Kalakuta sectarian violence, is an indicator of a failed state of social and religious structures in Nigeria. The Catholic Arch Bishop of Jos and Chairman of Inter-Religious Council in Plateau State, Rev. Fr. Dr.  Ignatius Kaigama expressed dismay at the use of violence to resolve social and communal differences. "We condemned in totality the use of fire arms to resolve social matters" said Kaigama.

Whatever one cannot get by peaceful means one cannot get it by violence. Let us give up violence for peace. "No misunderstanding could be resolved through the use of arms," said the Gbongong Jos and the Chairman of Plateau Traditional Council, Da Jacob Gyang Buba.

In spite of these challenges, I hope Plateau State will rise to claim its title of being a home of peace, beauty and tourism. Both Muslims and Christians on the Plateau need to understand that "peace is that calm of mind that is not ruffled by adversity, overclouded by a remorseful conscience, or disturbed by fear." May we be able to sing with Francis of Assisi:

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace!

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy.

Oh, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;

To be understood, as to understand;

To be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

It is in dying that we are born to eternal life!

 

Dialogue breaks down not because it doesn't work but because one of the parties insists on having things done their own way. "The safest place in the world is in the center of God's will. But it may be unsettling, and our fear of that may keep us from hearing God. Thank God that he is merciful and relentless" said Old Testament scholar, Tremper Longman.  Lord Jesus, have mercy on the Muslims and Christians in Nigeria. Those among them who do not have sight cannot follow your will. Give them their sight so that they may see that the way to peace is dialogue.

By Rev. Sunday B. Agang, PhD (Academic Dean, ECWA Theological Seminary, Jos)

From Dr. Bulus Galadima 

Thank you all for your prayers. Yesterday, I met with my management team and we had planned to begin abbreviated lectures today beginning at 8:30am to keep the school open. When we woke up it was quiet but by 8am there was intense gunshots with increasing ferocity all over the city for over three hours. It came within half a kilometer of JETS.

 

Thank you for your concern and prayers. We had at least one stray bullet drop in the campus. School was supposed to start yesterday. We have just been waiting to see how things are progressing. The news reaching us from the city and a neighbouring town are not good. At least one ECWA church has been burnt in Jos’ twin city called Bukuru. There is intense fighting in that town. Women have also been attacked and killed. This tells you the evil planned against believers in our city. Rumours of attack has been on since Christmas of 2009. Security was tight at Christmas. God has been sustaining us and encouraging us. Tonight is going to be critical for us because there is news that some Muslims have congregated in an uncompleted stadium not too far from the seminary. We have been making contacts that they be dispersed from there. I just heard a gunshot as I write this letter. This night my wife and I have just returned from visiting students in the hostel praying with them. We cooked a big meal for the community to share in. I just also checked the security details for the night. So pray for us.

 

Blessings.

 

Bulus Galadima