We can engage our governments to help Nigeria Solve the Problem of Terrorism
By Pastor Kemi Pedro
The February air slapped us like a wet towel as we stepped out of John F. Kennedy airport. Our spring jackets that John, my dear husband, bought back home in Nigeria “to keep us warm,” failed woefully to do their job. We were too excited and happy to care; no winter cold could stop us. It was a dream come true. The LORD had revealed to John that he would travel abroad, and he had held onto the dream even when he had no food to eat. We had finally arrived in America and would partake of the American dream.
I worked long hours, and John worked three jobs. Although we worked hard, we were happy. All we wanted was the opportunity to be employed in a profitable business, to thrive and to flourish; by the grace of GOD, we have.
Similarly, many Nigerians just want the opportunity to strive in a safe environment, to provide for their family and keep them safe. Alas, in recent years, our friends back home in the war zones of the Middle Belt of Nigeria have watched their wives get raped, kidnapped, and their children abducted from their schools of learning.
Headlines such as “Nigerian Soldiers Fire on Student Protestors at University Near Jos,” “Charred bones, Shallow graves, Litter Plateau village”; “Nigerian Christians slaughtered during Christmas,” “55 feared kidnapped as bandits ambush Katsina wedding train,” have become commonplace.
On February 28, more than 200 girls and women were kidnapped by terrorists linked to Boko Haram in Borno State. On March 7, 2024, 270 pupils from primary and secondary schools were kidnapped by Fulani radical Islamic terrorists in Kuriga, Kaduna State.
The wicked perpetrators of these evil acts have become emboldened as they have faced little or no resistance and no retribution. They come and go at will, raping, kidnapping and killing innocent civilians. Our brothers and sisters are crying for help.
JESUS told a story in Luke 10 of a certain man who was attacked by thieves and left for dead. A priest and a Levite saw the injured man, looked the other way and quickly passed by. They refused to get involved. A Samaritan saw the injured man, stopped and showed compassion. He bandaged his wounds and took care of him. He got involved. JESUS concluded by saying “Go and do likewise.”
Nigerian Diaspora are all over the world excelling in different arenas. We are a huge block in Europe, UK, America, et. al. We have a voice and can make a mighty impact. Could it be that we — like the Biblical Esther – have been taken out of Nigeria “for such a time as this?”
Will we look the other way, or be like the Good Samaritan and wash the wounds of our brethren who are attacked for their faith in JESUS?
Can we echo their silent cries all over the world in halls of influence and decision making?
Yes, we can!
Recently, I read the story of five-year-old Helen Iremiren who had been kidnapped in a suburb of Kaduna City along with her parents and three siblings. She was found roaming the forests in the early hours of February 29, 2024 by citizen guards and was kept alive by the providence of GOD. I saw the helplessness and worry on her uncle’s face as he held her in his arms. The same helplessness and worry are mirrored on the faces of millions of Nigerians. Yet, we can be the help they desperately need.
What can we do? We can shed a light on this massacre of the innocent and create an awareness in our communities. We can engage our governments in our various parts of the world. We can convince the Nigerian government to make the protection of persecuted Christians a priority. We can give to organizations that are trying to rescue abducted civilians.
Arise Nigerian Diaspora! Let us utilize our vast knowledge, wisdom and resources to bring help and by the Grace of GOD, a great deliverance to our people.
Rev. Kemi Pedro is the Co-Pastor of Faith Clinic Church International in Hyattsville, Maryland.
