Congratulations to the parents of Greenfield University Kaduna, Northern Nigeria. Fourteen students abducted 40 days ago by Islamist’s extremist were freed on Saturday, May 29, 2021 after their parents paid thousands of dollars for ransom and met all the other demands by the kidnappers. The kidnappers dropped off the students for their parents at a location they agreed upon during the negotiations.
On a sad note, Nigerian airforce aircraft crashed on landing on May 21, 2021, killing the country’s chief of Army, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru, along with 11 other senior military officers. In another devastating incident, over 150 students were abducted by Islamists gunmen from a boarding school in Niger State (northeast of Nigeria) on Sunday, May 30, 2021. According to the BBC, the gunmen seized the students in the town of Tegina in the Northeast of Nigeria. The boarding school is attended by both boys and girls aged six to 18. To our listeners from Nigeria, we want you to know that we are praying for you, and we encourage you to please stay safe and follow all the safety precautions.
On May 25, 2021, President Pah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane of Mali in West Africa who were appointed to steer the country back to civilian rule were removed and detained by an army Colonel Assimi Goita. The coup was condemned by the United States, France, Britain, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Colonel Goita said Ndaw and Ouane had been stripped of their duties. He (Goita) is now in charge of the administration of Mali. We pray that God brings peace and stability to Mali and all our listeners.
We are happy to announce that several Western countries are sending covid-19 vaccine to several countries in sub-Saharan Africa. According to World Bank reports, $12 billion has been released to help low and middle-income countries purchase and distribute covid-19 vaccines, tests, and treatments. Casualties have been very low compared to the Western world, and researchers attribute the low number of deaths from covid-19 to the hot climate. Another good news is that economic growth in the region is forecast to rise between 2.3 and 3.4% in 2021 because of policies put in place and greater collaboration between sub-Saharan Africa and international communities. The real GDP growth for 2022 is estimated at 3.1%, a rebound growth, and investment confidence. These economic boosts are all excellent news towards propagating the gospel of Jesus Christ in sub-Saharan Africa. Surprisingly, people in the remote areas of Africa, the Islamic strongholds enclave, still listen to shortwave radios. Pray for West Africa. There are four Islamist extremist groups now operating in West Africa, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Boko Haram, the bandits who operate kidnapping passengers on highways leading to major cities, and ISIS Franchise with different names. Please pray for West Africa.
