The Jos Genocide By Andrew Abah

While Jesus was responding to His disciples’ question on the signs of the end time, one of the hints He gave them was that they will be hated for His name’s sake. A All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. (Matt 24:8-9). Even before then, he had prepared them for this hatred as every book of the gospel stress so much on it.

For example, in Matthew 10:22 He said “ And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved”. In Luke 21:17-18, He said “And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But not a hair of your head shall be lost” and in Mark 13:13 Jesus disclosed “ And you will be hated by all men for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved”.

These passages became so real in the last few days as Christians’ homes were recently invaded, 40 churches were burnt down and over 500 persons were killed. The attackers were said to have started killing and burning churches at about 2am on the night of November 28, 2008. They claimed that they were protesting a just concluded Local Government election which result had not even been announced. Common sense bears witness that the Local Government election has nothing to do with killing innocent Christians who are not politicians and places of worship. It is HATRED for Christ followers and all for Christ name's sake.

With the help of GSM phones, news quickly filtered to us informing us of the outbreak of Jihad in some part of the city. I quickly sent SMS to as many loved ones to make sure they don't move out of their house without caution. As at that time, the murderer were already at the doorpost of one of our missionaries at about 7.30am. Their house was set ablaze and there was no sense in remaining indoor. Just as they stepped out of their room which was already been razed down, they entered into the hands of the murderers. As the Lord will have it, they released his wife and baby to go. He was abducted but before they could think of slaughtering him like hundreds of others, he took to his heel. They pursued him but they could not catch up with him. Unfortunately, he ran into the hands of other murderers. Again, God spared his life. He later ran into an uncompleted building and rested there. All through these period, we had lost touch with him. We only worked with the report his wife brought on how he was abducted. We mobilised the body of Christ across the country and beyond and brethren took time to fervently prayed for us. In the evening of the same day, he made it to our missions headquarters. We shed tears of thanksgiving.

We had to move him and all other headquarters staff and the kids from the Unreached Children Home (orphans and vulnerable kids) to my residence because it was relatively safer. The Jihad was not over. The Jihadist were marching to the direction of our headquarters which house our School of Cross-Cultural Missions classroom/hostel, offices, staff residence, etc. apparently to set the place ablaze. The natives engage them in fight and with the help of the military, the Jihadists were overpowered.