Prayers for Lagos, Nigeria

Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. – Psalm 57:1

It has been two weeks since the first batches of protesters marched on the streets of Lagos in the #EndSARS Campaign. End Special Anti-Robbery Squad (End SARS or #EndSARS) is a decentralized social movement against police brutality in Nigeria. The slogan calls for an end to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a controversial unit of the Nigerian Police with an intense long record of abuses and torture.

The peaceful demonstrations, which also spread nationwide, took a turn for the worse in the evening of Tuesday, October 20th at the Lekki toll gate, as shots were fired into a largely unarmed and peaceful demonstrators in Lagos. Uniformed men using the cover of the dark surrounded the crowd, barricaded them in and opened fire. Images online are gory as young men and women, wrapped in Nigerian flags, were soaked in blood. Unconfirmed reports suggest at least 10 people were killed at the Lekki toll gate with many more in critical condition in hospital.

The violence has since spread to other parts of the city as many properties and vehicles were set on fire by an angry mob. The State Governor also imposed an indefinite 24-hour curfew on Lagos and other regions.

Please continue to pray for disciples in Nigeria, particularly in Lagos. The city is in turmoil now but we are hopeful normalcy will return soon. Our God and our Mighty Protector have kept us safe and none of our properties have been destroyed. A brother in the Ojo-Apapa region in Lagos had his car burned (see below) but God has spared our lives.

Our plea is for brothers and sisters all over the world to join faiths together in prayers for us that God’s holy angels be on guard on our behalf throughout this challenging period. Amen.