Christians killed, church burned in Nigeria
Three Christian villages in Adamawa State were attacked on October 8, with at least one dead and a church burned.
Suspected Boko Haram and ISWAP attackers entered three Christian villages in Adamawa State, Nigeria, on October 8. At least one person died and a church was burned in Nigeria, Morning Star News reported.
Tela-Bala, Guyaku and Sabon Gari
The three villages are in the Gombi area. Resident Wreforce Hassan Usman wrote to Morning Star News: "I woke up this morning with a broken heart because Boko Haram attacked some of our Christian communities in Gombi" (translation by Sígueme). He also said houses, shops, hospitals and other property burned.
Hossana Dauda asked for prayer that night for Tela-Bala, Guyaku and Sabon Gari. Another neighbor, Dishon Balda, said that in Guyaku there were deaths and damage to a church, homes and a clinic. In April, a previous attack in Tela-Bala had left 29 people dead who were watching a soccer match; Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri confirmed it, according to Morning Star News.
«Praying for the church in Nigeria is praying for the church of which we are also part.»
State legislator Rufa'i Umar, who represents Gombi, called on October 9 for security in the area to be reinforced and said that the loss of innocent lives is a loss for everyone. Balda asked the authorities to investigate and provide assistance to the neighbors.
The country where more Christians die
Between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025, 4,849 Christians died for their faith worldwide, according to the World Watch List 2026 cited by Morning Star News. Of them, 3,490 were Nigerians: 72%, compared to 3,100 the previous year. Nigeria ranks 7th among the 50 countries where being a Christian is most difficult.
Boko Haram seeks to impose sharia throughout the country and split in 2016: ISWAP was born from that. The group considers Muslims who do not join its jihad to be infidels, a stance of strict jihadist Salafism and not of majority Islam, according to Morning Star News. Naming things precisely avoids two mistakes: blaming an entire people and doing nothing.
What you can do
You don't need to have a political stance on Nigeria to grieve with Nigeria. The same body is the one that suffers: "If one member suffers, all suffer together" (1 Corinthians 12:26, ESV).
This week you can pray with names: Tela-Bala, Guyaku and Sabon Gari, and the families who lost someone. You can get information from outlets that verify and stop the rumor before forwarding it. If you want to help, look for agencies that aid persecuted Christians and verify their work before donating. A small, real step weighs more than a hundred outraged posts.
Hope is not in a government changing, but in the Christ who rose again and promised to return. Praying for the church in Nigeria is praying for the church of which we are also part. Will you pray today for them, by name?
