Nigeria

• Nigeria is on the west coast of Africa, on the Gulf of Guinea and on the same latitude as Venezuela. 
• Twice the size of California, Nigeria has a population of 113,828,000 (1997). 
• The upper third is desert, the middle is tropical, ant the lower third, equatorial.
• 50% of the population is Muslim, 40% Christian. 
• Christianity arrived with the Portuguese in the 15^th century, but grew fastest in the 19 ^th with growth of British rule. 
• Islam arrived in the 11 ^th century and was well established by the 16 ^th. 
• The majority of Muslims live in the north; the majority of Christians, in the south. 
• English is the official language. 
• The capital city is Abuja.  Lagos is the largest city with 3 million plus inhabitants. 
• The government is a US style republic.

Kaduna

• Kaduna is the name of the diocese, the state and the state capital. 
• The population of the city was 302,000, and of the state was 3,969,000, in 1991. 
• A major industrial, commercial, and financial center, Kaduna has a Polytechnic College, the Nigerian Defense Academy, Christian teacher colleges, the Kaduna State Library, as well as a branch of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, the largest cotton textile weaving mills in the country, and light and heavy industries.  There are a steel–rolling plant, an auto factory, and an oil refinery. 
• Kaduna is center for the construction industry, an agricultural collection point, and northern headquarters of the government’s Livestock Services Training Center.

The Plight of Christians in Nigeria

• On Sunday, April 16, 1999 Bishop Josiah Fearon of Kaduna Diocese, Nigeria Preached the Palm Sunday sermon at Trinity Episcopal Church, Tariffville.  After the worship service, he addressed an assembly of parishioners on the escalating conflict between Muslim extremists and Christians in Kaduna State. 
• On February 22, 2000 Christians made a peaceful march to the State Capital to protest the imposition of Sharia or Islamic law.  The marchers were attacked by Muslim extremists.  Several days of rioting ensued in which thousands of Christians were brutally murdered.  Eight of Bishop Josiah’s churches, the Baptist Seminary, and the Roman Catholic Church were destroyed before the government restored order.  Christians' homes and businesses in Kaduna were burned.  Thousands of Christians were in refugee camps. 
• Bishop Josiah witnessed the rampage, including the deaths of two close friends.  Our Rector, the Reverend Thomas J. Furrer, formed a committee to explore ways of helping our Nigerian brothers and sisters, especially in Bishop Josiah’s diocese. 

Archbishop Josiah Fearon

• Josiah is the Anglican Bishop of Kaduna, Republic of Nigeria.  He served previously as the Bishop of Sokato Diocese in Nigeria.  He is married to Comfort, who is a RN.  They have, two sons, Ibrahim and Douda, and a daughter, Ninma. 
• In 1992, Bishop Josiah began studying for his doctorate in Islamic Studies at Hartford Seminary.  A Parishioner invited him to worship at Trinity, where he was welcomed into our parish family.  He and our prior Rector, the Reverend Cannon Francis C. Howard, became close friends, and in 1993, Trinity and Kaduna Diocese became companion churches. 
• When Fr. Howard retired in 1998, Bishop Josiah requested that our deacon, the Rev. Patricia C. Joy be appointed the Bishop’s Commissary in the United States.  With our new Rector, Fr. Furrer, we look forward to continued growth in our relationship with Bishop Josiah and the Kaduna Diocese. 

Politics in Nigeria

• On May 29, 1999, former General Olusegun Obasanjo was inaugurated as President after 15 years of military rule.  Obasanjo leads the fourth popularly elected government since Nigeria’s independence from Britain in 1960. 
• Military misrule and political patronage have impoverished the country and devastated the infrastructure.  The President’s challenges include restructuring the military, repairing the economy, repaying $30 billion in foreign debt, and developing accountability for proper stewardship of the country’s resources. 
• An ever–present shadow of the possibility of a military coup looms over the new government. 

Muslim Extremists

• With the inauguration of President Obasanjo, a Christian, political power has shifted from the northern Muslim states to the southern Christian states. 
• The president’s agenda to cut back government patronage has hit the impoverished northern states hard. 
• Several northern states have made Islamic law, Sharia, the law of the land, over–riding constitutional law.  Sharia criminal law is harsh and inhuman. 
• Christians, already second class citizens in the north, fear further degradation in their situation.

Recent Events

• Since returning to Nigeria, Bishop Josiah has worked to calm the Christians and prevent further violence. 
• Unfortunately, new violence broke out on May 22, 2000.  Two hundred more people were killed and hundreds of buildings, including churches and mosques, were burned. 
• The recent violence was sparked by reprisals for the February bloodshed.  As Josiah wrote in a recent email, “...the Christians have lost faith in the Muslims and unfortunately in those governing us in the state of Kaduna.” 

What Can We Do?

At the end of his address, Bishop Josiah asked us to continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Kaduna, to work to influence our government, to help preserve human rights in Nigeria, and to send whatever financial support we could to assist Christian refugees in Kaduna: 

• Pray for our bothers and sisters in Kaduna, for their protection and freedom from persecution, for food, material goods, and shelter, and for their religious freedom. 
  
  “Heavenly Father, you have promised protection and provision for your people.  We humbly ask your presence to be with Bishop Josiah and the people of Kaduna in their hour of need.  May your Holy Spirit descend down upon them with wisdom and direction, that they may be guided by your had in all they do.  We pray, Lord, for a peaceful resolution to the strife in country, that this nation of divided faiths in the one true God may find away to love and serve you in peaceful coexistence.  We thank you for the many ways you are working in the hearts of your people, here and in Nigeria. 
  
  In Jesus Name, Amen”
  
  
• Government Influence
  • Bishop Josiah wishes to make contact with members of Congress. 
  • Paul Gilmore, Esq., has been networking to pursue new contacts.  If you can help, please contact Paul at his email address: Pgilmore@uks.com