Maiduguri, Borno State

“For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.” Colossians 1:16, NIV

Under the scorching afternoon sun, Mallam B toiled all day. Navigating around the fast-growing city of Maiduguri to get the next meal for his large family of fifteen. With the gradual return of relative peace, there is a great struggle for the limited resources in the ancient city as hundreds like Mallam B adjust to life after the trauma of years of insurgency. More pathetic is the fact that Mallam B, like many others, are on their way to a Christless eternity.

Maiduguri was a military outpost of the British Empire during the colonial period. Today, it is estimated to have a population of approximately two million people. Its residents are mostly Muslim including Kanuri, Hausa, Shuwa, Bura, Marghi, and Fulani ethnic groups. There is also a considerable Christian population and are mainly indigenes of the southern part of the state or settlers from other states in the federation

Borno state, with Maiduguri as its capital, has had the highest casualties and losses from the Boko Haram insurgency which lasted for over a decade. This has brought about untold hardship, abject poverty and a low standard of living in the city. These years of insurgency described by the UN as the gravest humanitarian crisis of the 21 century is a testament to what man is capable of without the gospel. Maiduguri is in dire need of an army of radical intercessors who will commit to praying for the salvation of its people.

Please pray

• Praise God for the return of peace to the land after several years of unrest.
• Ask God to inspire compassion and a sense of responsibility among the believers towards their neighbours.
• Ask God to make the people more open and receptive to the gospel.