ICC Note: Following the death of Eunice Elisha on July 9 in Abuja, Nigerian Christians are now being warned to prepare for continued persecution and violence. Eunice was a Christian evangelist who preached the gospel in public, an act that cost her her life. Her murder is another in a long string of similar Christian persecution stories from Nigeria in the past weeks. These unprovoked attacks on Christians throughout the country have received little attention from the government or the authorities. Christians are being encouraged by church leaders to remain peaceful and law-abiding, but they are warned that even if they do so they may face the same kind of deadly persecution that others have been facing. Apart from the main Islamic terrorist group in the country, Boko Haram, there are also other ones that operate in the area carrying out similar attacks. The lack of action on the part of the government and authorities allows many Muslims in the country to continue to sideline and persecute Christians whilst propagating Islam.

07/14/2016, Abuja, Nigeria (World Watch Monitor) – Eunice Elisha, a mother of seven, had gone out to preach as was usual, her husband, Olawale Elisha, a Redeemed Church of God Pastor, told local media.

Later, two of their sons, who had been practicing football, heard that a woman had been killed while preaching.

“I told my children that it couldn’t be their mother, but they insisted we should go there and check,” Elisha said. “When we got there, we didn’t see anybody, they had even covered her blood with sand.”

A police officer confirmed a killing had taken place and that the body had been taken to a police station in Kubwa, on the outskirts of Abuja.

“At the entrance of the station I saw a pickup van coming out,” Elisha said. “Inside it I saw the lifeless body of my wife at the back of the pickup van. At this point, my children and I burst into tears.”

‘Zealous Christian’

Eunice Elisha was 42. Her surviving husband called her a zealous Christian who “rarely missed a day in church”.

Asked how he felt about the murder of his wife and her killers, Olawale said: “I see her as a martyr who died for Christ. Whether the people are caught or not, they should be forgiven.”

Police have arrested six suspects, and an investigation continues.

Elisha is only the most recent of several attacks on Christians in recent weeks.

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