Persecuted Christians

Save the Persecuted Christians Backs Moore: Do Not Lift Nigeria’s CPC Status After Plateau Killings

Persecuted Christians — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 21:08:38 GMT

Save the Persecuted Christians (STPC) strongly supports U.S. Rep. Riley Moore (R-WV) in opposing any move by the U.S. Department of State to lift Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) following the latest deadly attack on Christians in Plateau State.

Between midnight Monday and the early hours of Tuesday, August 18, 2026, gunmen attacked the predominantly Christian Bin-Per (also reported as Bin Mper or Binper) community in Ruff, Kombun District of Mangu Local Government Area, Plateau State. Attackers moved house to house, forcing entry and slaughtering residents who were asleep. Local officials and residents confirmed at least 24–25 people killed, with women and children among the majority of victims. Several others were injured and hospitalized. The victims received a mass burial on Tuesday while women from the community staged a peaceful protest, marching with leaves and demanding urgent government protection.

Rep. Moore responded directly on X:

“This is exactly why the @StateDept cannot lift Nigeria’s CPC designation. Christians are being slaughtered across the Middle Belt with impunity. There may be progress in the north, but nothing has changed in the Middle Belt where most attacks against Christians occur. We cannot make the same mistake the Biden Administration made. Biden removed the CPC designation from Nigeria after President Trump’s first term and all hell broke loose on Christians. We must stop the genocide.”

Quoting Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker’s statement on the second session of the U.S.-Nigeria Joint Working Group, Moore added: “DO NOT remove the CPC designation for Nigeria. They have not done near enough to protect Christians! They continue to get slaughtered!!”

Women and Children Killed in Bin-Per:

“Save the Persecuted Christians agrees with Rep. Moore. President Trump must not let the Nigerian government off the hook for ongoing and egregious violence targeting Christians in the Middle Belt,” said Dede Laugesen, president & CEO of Save the Persecuted Christians. “Nothing will improve until the United States designates Nigeria’s so-called ‘prodigal sons,’ the Fulani Muslim militia, as a foreign terrorist organization. Without this designation, Christians in Nigeria will continue to be slaughtered, taken captive, and forced from their homelands by Fulani terrorists, as American humanitarians risk being harmed while providing much-needed aid.”

Laugesen continued: “Anywhere else in the world, this would be global headlines. Children and babies are being slaughtered by demonic terrorists—close-range headshots to children, a child hiding under a bed, a mother with her baby still strapped to her back. I hesitate to share these images as I may be deplatformed, but the world must stop looking away. It took photos from Auschwitz to wake up the world to the Holocaust. Photos like these from Nigeria cross my desk every day. I cannot look away.”

WARNING - GRAPHIC IMAGES and LIST of 24 PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN BIN-PER IN KUMBUM DISTRICT OF MANGU LOCAL GOVERNMENT ATTACK BY FULANI ON MONDAY 17th AUGUST 2026 MIDNIGHT [List provided by Stefanos Foundation, Jos, Nigeria]

Nigeria was designated a CPC in 2020 under President Trump for severe violations of religious freedom, removed under the Biden administration in 2021, and redesignated by President Trump on October 31, 2025. Moore has been a leading congressional voice on the issue, including introducing a House resolution condemning the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

Christian monitoring groups and local leaders have attributed many of these Middle Belt attacks, including the latest in Mangu, to Fulani Muslim militias. The pattern of nighttime house-to-house killings, destruction of homes and farms, and targeting of Christian farming communities continues with near-total impunity.

STPC urges the Trump administration and Congress to maintain Nigeria’s CPC status, demand concrete accountability and protection measures from the Nigerian government, and move swiftly to designate the Fulani Muslim militias as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Only decisive action can halt the systematic slaughter of Christians in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.

About Save the Persecuted Christians

Save the Persecuted Christians is a US-based nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness of, and advocating for, Christians facing severe persecution worldwide, with a particular focus on Nigeria and other high-threat regions.

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Save the Persecuted Christians Demands President Trump Force South Korea to Free Ambassador Morse Tan

Persecuted Christians — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 02:03:57 GMT

Washington, D.C. — Save the Persecuted Christians (STPC) is joining a coalition of national security, human rights, and religious freedom leaders in demanding that President Trump act now to free an American diplomat from the grip of a government that calls itself an ally.

STPC has signed a joint letter to President Donald J. Trump demanding immediate action to free Ambassador Morse Tan from South Korea — and to make clear that this treatment of an American diplomat will not be tolerated.

Ambassador Tan, who served with distinction as U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice during President Trump’s first administration, has been trapped in South Korea since he landed there at the start of June — barred from coming home by an exit ban the government of President Lee Jae Myung has now extended twice. Seoul has set September 11 as the date it intends to put an American diplomat on trial.

Tan’s actual “crime” is remarks he made at the National Press Club in Washington in June 2025 — on American soil, protected by the First Amendment, and, by South Korea’s own legal code, protected there too. Seoul is prosecuting an American diplomat for exercising free speech in the United States. That is not how allies treat one another. That is the conduct of a government sliding toward authoritarianism.

“Ambassador Tan’s treatment is an outrage — it is flagrant human rights abuse dressed up as a legal proceeding, and undeniable proof of the authoritarian turn now underway in South Korea,” said Dede Laugesen, President and CEO of Save the Persecuted Christians. “One of America’s most important allies in East Asia is jailing conservative pastors, targeting churches that won’t bow to the Lee Jae Myung government, and cozying up to Communist China and North Korea — two of the worst persecutors of Christians on Earth. That is not the behavior of an ally standing with us on shared values; it is the behavior of a government turning its back on them, and on us. President Trump must pick up the phone, tell President Lee plainly that this is unacceptable, and secure Ambassador Tan’s immediate release. No more delay.”

The letter, organized by the Committee on the Present Danger: China and published today, puts it bluntly: South Korea cannot have it both ways. It cannot court billions of dollars in commercial and military shipbuilding partnerships with the United States while simultaneously holding an American diplomat hostage to a bogus defamation charge. The President must make clear that continued mistreatment of Ambassador Tan, and the broader pattern of repression and strategic realignment behind it, are flatly incompatible with a strong U.S.–ROK alliance.

Save the Persecuted Christians stands with its fellow signatories in demanding one outcome, and one outcome only: Ambassador Tan comes home now. An alliance built on shared security and shared values cannot survive if one side treats the other’s diplomats like criminals for the crime of speaking freely — and Washington should not pretend otherwise.

###

About Save the Persecuted Christians

Save the Persecuted Christians is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending religious freedom and advocating for persecuted Christians worldwide, with particular focus on regions where faith communities face systematic violence, legal discrimination, and state-sponsored repression.

Trapped by Lawfare: Former U.S. Ambassador Morse Tan Held in South Korea Under Politicized Exit Ban

Persecuted Christians — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 17:20:56 GMT

A prominent American advocate for international religious freedom and human rights, and former Trump administration U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice, Morse H. Tan remains unable to leave South Korea more than five weeks after arriving in early June 2026. He is subject to an extended exit ban imposed in connection with a criminal defamation investigation. The charges arise solely from public statements he made on U.S. soil in Washington, D.C., concerning South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s alleged juvenile incident and reformatory detention.

Professor Morse Tan from Liberty University in the US, who claims the 'election fraud' conspiracy theory ahead of the June 3 local elections, visits an early voting station set up at the Community Service Center in Anjung-eup, Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, on the 29th of June and looks around the site. /News. The Original story is here.

This case has received minimal attention from mainstream U.S. media, creating a near-total blackout on a matter involving an American citizen, a former high-level U.S. official, protected speech, and due process under a key ally. Details have spread primarily through alternative media, X, and Korean conservative channels, prompting calls under #FreeMorseTan for U.S. government intervention.

“I reached out to Ambassador Tan earlier today to confirm his situation. He is also concerned that his case has not received the attention it deserves in the States and has asked for our help to expose this CCP-like lawfare that is keeping him hostage in Korea,” said Dede Laugesen, president & CEO of Save the Persecuted Christians. “He is a longtime friend and advocate for the causes we care about. I stumbled on his situation in a comment on an unrelated post on X and followed up.”

Background on Ambassador Morse Tan

Morse H. Tan served as U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice (Office of Global Criminal Justice) after appointment by President Trump in December 2019 and Senate confirmation. In this role, he led U.S. policy responses to mass atrocity crimes — genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes — pursuing preventative measures, mitigation, accountability through international, hybrid, and national courts, documentation and evidence collection, and transitional justice to promote reconciliation and durable peace under the rule of law.

Prior to and alongside his diplomatic service, Tan was a law professor with expertise in international criminal law, international human rights law, and constitutional law. He served as the youngest full professor at Northern Illinois University College of Law and was a Founding Professor of the first American J.D. program in Asia at Handong International Law School in South Korea — a Christian institution with deep roots in evangelical and human rights advocacy. He later served as Dean of Liberty University School of Law and in senior roles focused on law and government.

Tan has long championed international religious freedom and human rights, engaging on issues of Christian persecution and accountability for atrocities. His ties to Korea and background in human rights position him to speak authoritatively on threats to liberty in the region.

The Exit Ban and Criminal Investigation

Upon arrival in South Korea in early June 2026, Tan was served with an exit ban tied to a criminal defamation case. Prosecutors escalated the matter from police to their office, creating the immediate risk of arrest and incarceration. A June 23, 2026 report in The Chosun Ilbo English edition described Tan as a “U.S. professor” facing investigation over claims about the president’s alleged juvenile detention involvement.

Tan has rejected the proceedings on jurisdictional, constitutional, and international grounds. He argues that South Korean authorities lack authority over speech made by a U.S. citizen in the United States, that his statements are protected by the First Amendment, and that they fall under safeguards in Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) as well as Korean standards protecting statements believed to be true and in the public interest.

Tan’s Statements on the Case

In public comments and interviews while under the exit ban, Tan has been direct about both the evidence he believes exists regarding the underlying allegations and the nature of the response against him.

On the sufficiency of evidence concerning President Lee Jae-myung, Tan stated:

“If I was a prosecutor and you were to ask me, do I have enough evidence to move forward with the case in regards to the crimes that Lee Jae-myung is said to have committed? Uh I would be able to say yes, I have enough evidence to move forward with the case. And so that’s the nature of it there.”

He described the procedural escalation and personal risk:

“And in terms of where things are at, there’s been a dangerous escalation because it’s moved from the police to the prosecutors. So at this point, anytime they choose, they could choose to seek to arrest me, they could seek to incarcerate me. Uh and these this is a dangerous escalation that has taken place.”

Addressing jurisdiction and legal protections, Tan explained:

“When I pointed out in court and I had a chance to speak about how I’m protected by the US Constitution, how a South Korean court should not have jurisdiction here, how this is allowed under international standards through the international covenant on civil and political rights article 19. Now, it’s also protected by the Korean standards at the time the states statement was made in terms of it being true or believed to be true and in the public interest. This is wrong on every level in terms of jurisdictionally as well as procedurally as well as substantively.”

He characterized the overall approach clearly:

“So this is not the rule of law. This is lawfare where they are weaponizing so-called law to try to go after me. What’s also extraordinary about this is this would be disturbing enough if this was against any US citizen, but I had the privilege of serving as one of Trump’s ambassadors during his first administration. And this is in the context of an alliance that’s supposed to exist between South Korea and the United States. And so that’s what makes it even more distressing.”

These remarks come from Tan’s English-language statements in recent interviews and proceedings. They reflect the core of his defense as presented while restricted in South Korea. View key video and statements here: X post by @AZSunGal sharing the Lindell TV exclusive and detailed English excerpts.

The Political Context and CCP Influence Concerns

President Lee Jae-myung’s administration has been described by critics as leftist and increasingly aligned with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) interests in its regional posture and domestic governance. Tan’s criticism of the president and related election-integrity questions put him in the crosshairs as a foreign voice highlighting uncomfortable truths.

Ambassador Tan has expressed particular alarm over growing CCP influence in South Korea under the current administration. Drawing on his extensive background in international human rights law, global criminal justice, and direct experience with Korean Christian institutions (including his foundational role at Handong International Law School), Tan and aligned voices have highlighted how pro-CCP orientations in Seoul facilitate influence operations that undermine democratic institutions, weaken the U.S.-Korea alliance, and target conservative sectors of society.

These operations often manifest as pressure on institutions and individuals who resist ideological infiltration, pro-communist narratives, or policies seen as overly accommodating to Beijing and Pyongyang. Conservative church leaders and Christian communities — long pillars of South Korean civil society, anti-communism, and support for religious freedom and North Korean defectors — have faced heightened scrutiny, legal challenges, media campaigns, or political marginalization in this environment.

A notable example involves Pastor Son Hyun-bo, a conservative church leader who has spoken out against such influences and related government directions. His situation, along with pressures on similar figures and institutions, illustrates the pattern: when administrations tilt toward CCP-friendly engagement, conservative religious voices that defend traditional values, robust alliances with the United States, and accountability for authoritarian regimes become targets of lawfare, reputational attacks, or institutional restrictions. Tan’s own detention fits this broader dynamic, as his truth-telling on political matters intersects with resistance to external influence that threatens Korea’s democratic and religious fabric.

Supporters of Tan’s case have explicitly framed the exit ban within this context, noting that the current presidency operates under significant CCP influence and that actions against figures like Tan serve to intimidate those challenging the narrative.

English Interview Coverage and Media Blackout

A prominent English-language interview with Ambassador Tan while under the exit ban was featured on Lindell TV’s “My Mornings with Vanessa.” The segment includes discussion of the ban, his legal position, the political environment, and supporting footage of public gatherings. Mainstream U.S. outlets have provided little to no sustained coverage of an American citizen and former ambassador restricted by an ally over political speech made in the United States. This contrasts sharply with the attention such an incident would likely receive if initiated by a non-allied power.

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Implications for U.S. Policy and the Alliance

This case raises direct issues for American policymakers and influencers:

Criminalization of protected political speech made on U.S. territory by a foreign government.
Use of exit bans against a former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice by a treaty ally.
Growing CCP influence in South Korea and its corrosive effects on democracy, religious freedom, and conservative institutions, including attacks on church leaders like Pastor Son Hyun-bo.
The precedent for other Americans engaged in human rights, religious liberty, or alliance advocacy.

Tan’s work on global criminal justice and human rights makes his targeting especially concerning for those tracking atrocity prevention, accountability, and religious freedom worldwide.

Recommended Actions

U.S. policymakers, the State Department, and influencers concerned with religious freedom, free expression, global criminal justice, and alliance management should press for the immediate lifting of the exit ban and dismissal of charges that punish American speech made on American soil. Both private diplomacy and public clarity are warranted when an ally holds a former ambassador over protected expression and amid concerns over CCP influence eroding shared values.

America cannot credibly champion the rule of law, human rights, and religious liberty abroad while remaining passive when those principles are tested against one of its own citizens — and when a key ally’s direction raises alarms about authoritarian influence. Ambassador Morse Tan should be free to return home.

#FreeMorseTan

NOTE: Key sources include U.S. Department of State records on Tan’s ambassadorship, English-language statements by Ambassador Tan (shared via X), contemporaneous X reporting and video from July 2026, and a June 23, 2026 article in The Chosun Ilbo English edition. Mainstream U.S. media coverage has remained minimal.

—

Dede Laugesen is President & CEO of Save the Persecuted Christians a US nonprofit committed to advocating for persecuted Christians globally and in the USA.

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US-Nigeria Civil Society Coalition Condemns Deadly Weekend Attacks in Plateau and Benue States

Persecuted Christians — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 19:04:00 GMT

US-Nigeria Civil Society Coalition
Date: July 13th, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. / ABUJA — The US-Nigeria Civil Society Coalition expresses its deepest sorrow and strongest condemnation following the devastating attacks that occurred across communities in Plateau and Benue States between Saturday, July 11, and Sunday, July 12, 2026.

According to reports from local community leaders, humanitarian partners, and field sources, armed assailants believed to be suspected Fulani militia elements carried out coordinated attacks on predominantly farming communities in Plateau and Benue States, resulting in the tragic loss of many innocent lives, numerous injuries, and the displacement of families. Homes and livelihoods were reportedly destroyed, further deepening an already serious humanitarian crisis in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.

These recurring attacks underscore the urgent need for stronger security measures, meaningful accountability, humanitarian assistance, and sustained peacebuilding efforts to protect all vulnerable communities regardless of ethnicity or religion.

Reports from the Affected Communities

Riyom Local Government Area, Plateau State

Between the late hours of Saturday, July 11, and the early hours of Sunday, July 12, heavily armed attackers reportedly invaded the Wereng-Camp and Kum communities in Riyom Local Government Area.

Local reports indicate that:

The attacks reportedly continued for approximately two hours before the assailants withdrew.
An entire family of 9 was reportedly killed in the Kum community.
The traditional leader of the Kum community sustained serious injuries while attempting to protect residents and is receiving medical treatment.
Several homes and community properties were destroyed, leaving many residents displaced.

Otukpo Local Government Area, Benue State

On Sunday, July 12, another deadly attack reportedly occurred in the Utokpo-Nobi community of Otukpo Local Government Area.

Preliminary reports indicate that:

At least 15 residents, including farmers, lost their lives.
Many others sustained serious injuries.
The attack has heightened fear and insecurity across surrounding communities.
While various accounts have linked the incident to tensions following the earlier killing of a local leader of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) by unidentified individuals, the Coalition emphasizes that no grievance can ever justify collective punishment or violence against innocent civilians. Those responsible for criminal acts must be identified through lawful investigations and prosecuted in accordance with the rule of law.

*A Call for Immediate and Coordinated Action*

The continuing cycle of violence affecting communities across Plateau, Benue, and other parts of Nigeria’s Middle Belt requires renewed urgency from all stakeholders.

The US-Nigeria Civil Society Coalition respectfully calls upon the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Governments of Plateau and Benue States, security agencies, traditional institutions, civil society organizations, and international partners to work collaboratively toward lasting solutions that protect lives and restore confidence in affected communities.

Specifically, the Coalition urges:

Strengthened Security Presence

Security agencies should reinforce protection in vulnerable communities through enhanced intelligence gathering, rapid-response capabilities, and sustained security deployments in identified high-risk areas.

*Swift, Transparent Investigations*

Authorities should conduct thorough investigations into these attacks, identify those responsible, and ensure that perpetrators and their sponsors are brought to justice through transparent legal processes.

· Emergency Humanitarian Assistance

Immediate humanitarian relief is urgently needed for affected families, including emergency medical care, trauma counseling, temporary shelter, food assistance, and support for displaced persons. We encourage the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), state emergency agencies, faith-based organizations, humanitarian partners, and international relief organizations to coordinate timely assistance.

· Long-Term Peacebuilding and Community Protection

Beyond immediate security responses, sustainable peace requires investment in conflict prevention, early warning systems, community dialogue, reconciliation initiatives, and policies that protect farming communities while promoting peaceful coexistence among all Nigerians.

*International Partnership*

The Coalition welcomes continued engagement by the international community, including the United States, the United Nations, the African Union, ECOWAS, The European Parliament and other partners committed to advancing peace, religious freedom, human rights, and civilian protection in Nigeria.

We encourage continued support for humanitarian assistance, peacebuilding initiatives, and efforts that strengthen accountability and the protection of vulnerable populations in accordance with international human rights standards.

*Thank You European Union Parliamentarian*

The US-Nigeria Civil Society Coalition commends the European Parliament for its recent bipartisan leadership in convening an urgent debate on the ongoing persecution of Christians in Nigeria and for overwhelmingly adopting a resolution condemning the violence by a vote of 510 in favor, 1 against, with 86 abstentions. The resolution rightly called for greater protection of vulnerable communities, stronger counterterrorism efforts, accountability for perpetrators, improved early-warning systems, and increased attention to the plight of internally displaced persons.

We respectfully encourage the European Union and its Member States to build upon this important expression of solidarity through tangible action, including expanded humanitarian assistance for displaced families, support for community recovery and trauma care, strengthened peacebuilding initiatives, enhanced security-sector capacity building, and sustained diplomatic engagement to help protect vulnerable communities and promote lasting stability in Nigeria’s Middle Belt. Such practical partnership will reinforce the shared commitment of Nigeria and the international community to safeguarding human life, advancing religious freedom, and ensuring that those responsible for these atrocities are held accountable under the rule of law.

*Standing with the Victims*

The US-Nigeria Civil Society Coalition extends its heartfelt condolences to every family mourning the loss of loved ones in Plateau and Benue States. We pray for the recovery of those who have been injured and for comfort for the displaced and traumatized.

We also commend community leaders, humanitarian workers, faith leaders, and security personnel who continue to serve under extraordinarily difficult circumstances.

Nigeria’s diversity remains one of its greatest strengths. Protecting every citizen—regardless of faith, ethnicity, or community—is a shared national responsibility and an essential foundation for lasting peace, stability, and development.

The Coalition remains committed to working with Nigerian stakeholders, international partners, and civil society organizations to advocate for justice, peace, accountability, and sustainable solutions that will help end the recurring violence affecting communities across Nigeria.

Signed by;

*US Nigeria Civil Coalition Members*

Save Nigeria Group USA — Stephen Osemwegie, President & Founder (Minnesota)

Equipping the Persecuted — Judd Saul, Founder & Executive Director (Iowa)

Save the Persecuted Christians — Dede Laugesen, President & CEO (Colorado)

Cross Talk Outreach Ministries - Minister Autumn Miller (West Virginia)

US-Nigeria Law Group — Emmanuel Ogebe, Managing Partner (Washington, DC)

African Christian Fellowship Washington, DC Advocacy Group — Dr. G. Ukwuani

(Washington, DC)

Center for Urban Renewal and Education CURE-Policy - Grace Glass (Washington DC)

Berom Community North America — Pam Davou, President (Boston, MA)

International Committee on Nigeria (ICON) — Stephen Enada, President & Co-Founder - (Atlanta, GA)

International Peace and Development Initiative (IPDI) — Rev. Dr. Chris Gankon, President & Founder (Los Angeles, CA)

Christian Association of Nigerian Americans (CANAN USA) — Banjo Olaniyan, Executive Director (Houston, TX)

Save Nigeria People’s Initiative (SANPI) - Convener Dr. Tony Erha - Abuja Nigeria

Ogidi inwellian North America (OINA) - Dr Chuck Abuadinma, Leader on Peace Coalition(Washington DC)

Nigerian Faith-Based Community Organization New Jersey - Rev. Dr. Yemi Adedeji President &

Member of Board of Trustees (New Jersey)

LEAH Foundation – Dr. Gloria Samdi Puldu, President (Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria)

Berom Diaspora Coalition (BDC) – Rev. Dr. John Haruna (Pennsylvania)

Stride Leadership Foundation – Rev. Dr. Polycarp Gbaja, CEO . (Nigeria)

Pathway Ministries- Rev. Fave Goje Founder, Abuja Nigeria.

International Christian Rescue Mission, Rev.Dr.Sucharitha Cole (Washington DC, USA)

Global Anointing Center, - Apostle Francis Gakwerere , ( Virginia USA).

Christian Social Movement of Nigeria (CAN) US Zonal Coordinator & Caucus of Conservative Nigerians in the Disapora (COCNIDUSA) -Bishop Samuel Ayeni

Truth Nigeria - Editor Douglas Burton - Washington DC

Church of The Brethren EYN - Allision Mr. Marcus Gamache - Abuja Nigeria

Graceland International Apostic Center- Apostle David Adesina - Abuja Nigeria

Dunamis International Christian Center Maryland - Rev. Christian Akor , Resident Pastor (Maryland)

Home For The Needy Foundation, Founder Rev. Solomon Folorunsho ( Benin City, Nigeria)

Mercy Chappel GGGM International - Founder Prophet Samuel Agholor (Maryland)

Nigeria Update Episode 5 | The Abandoned & Forgotten Children of Nigeria’s Genocide

Persecuted Christians — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 11:42:52 GMT

Save the Persecuted Christians & Save Nigeria Group
A JOINT WEBINAR

11 am ET, Wednesday, June 10, 2026

(This is a biweekly event every other Wednesday
starting April 15 and continuing through June 24.)

RSVP HERE

Orphans are typically defined as children under 18 who have lost one or both parents. Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) is a broader category that includes not only orphans but also children facing extreme risks — from poverty, HIV/AIDS in the family, armed conflict, displacement, disability, or inadequate care — even if both parents are alive.

In 2008, Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development estimated 17.5 million OVC — roughly one in every four Nigerian children at the time. That figure continues to be widely cited nearly two decades later, even as the country’s total population has grown 54% to an estimated 242 million in 2026, with nearly 110 million children and adolescents.

As Islamic terror ramped up and spread, Nigeria stopped tracking the numbers.

Nigeria’s government announced plans for a new national OVC survey in 2024, but as of mid-2026, no comprehensive updated national total has been released. Given ongoing insurgency, conflict, poverty, and displacement, the true number is almost certainly higher today.

Since 2009, Nigeria has endured relentless violence from groups like Boko Haram, ISWAP, Fulani militants and other jihadist groups, particularly in the North and Middle Belt. This has displaced millions and left deep scars on families and communities. Many communities continue to be occupied by terrorists without government intervention.

They can’t safely go home. The attack on Yelewata last year in June, and others like it, prove they aren’t safe in the camps.

As of early 2026, Nigeria officially has approximately 3.7 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), the vast majority women and children. Again, these are old, irrelevant numbers. Many human rights groups report the actual number is far higher, likely 12-13 million IDPs. Many receive little to no government assistance, especially Christian communities targeted in the Middle Belt and elsewhere. Many don’t exist on paper; they’re just tiny bundles of flesh and blood languishing under the stars.

The education system reveals the scale of the failure. Recent data from the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, shows that of nearly 30 million pupils enrolled in primary school, only 6 million eventually advance to senior secondary education — meaning roughly 24 million children drop out along the way. UNICEF consistently reports around 10.5 million children aged 5–14 out of school, with broader estimates (including adolescents) reaching 18–20 million. Many of these children live in IDP camps or informal settlements, where trauma, malnutrition, and lack of services are rampant.

“I have seen this reality firsthand. In Benue State IDP camps and overflowing orphanages in Plateau, I met children with distended bellies and haunted eyes — beautiful souls carrying unimaginable trauma. Their smiles mask deep pain,” said Dede Laugesen of Save the Persecuted Christians. “To much of the world, they remain invisible. To those who have looked into their faces, they are impossible to forget.
“It is unconscionable that major international bodies — including the UN, U.S. agencies, and prominent human rights organizations — continue quoting statistics that are 18 years old for OVC while the scale of suffering has grown. This creates a dangerous illusion of knowledge where ignorance actually reigns. Without current, credible data, effective humanitarian response is crippled.
“These children need to be counted — so they can be helped.”

The U.S.-Nigeria Civil Society Coalition and its partners call for an immediate census, conducted with international observers, to provide the foundation for real solutions.

Join us at 11 a.m. ET, Wednesday, June 10, to hear from leaders on the ground in Nigeria, Rev. Dr. William Devlin, Pastor Solomon Folorunsho and Rev. Dr. Oluwasayo Ajiboye, who are doing their best to keep Nigeria’s orphaned and forgotten children safe from harm and busy learning in a world of chaos, hunger and horror none should ever experience, but far too many have.

Moderator

Dede Laugesen, President and CEO, Save the Persecuted Christians

Co-Host

Stephen Osemwegie, President, Save Nigeria Group; Facilitator, US-Nigeria Civil Society Coalition

Panelists

Rev. Dr. William Devlin, President & Founder, Widows and Orphans (widowsandorphans.info)
Bamshak and Makayla Dagwer, Founders and Directors, Seeds of Hope Nigeria (seedsofhopeng.org)
Rev. Solomon Folorunsho, Pastor & Founder, Home for the Needy (homefortheneedy.com)
Rev. Dr. Oluwasayo Ajiboye, President & Founder, Mission Africa International (US & Nigeria) (missionafricainternational.org)

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Your generous, tax-deductible donation today directly supports our efforts here at home and across the globe, and we deeply appreciate it.

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Hosts of the Webinar

This webinar is jointly hosted by Save the Persecuted Christians and Save Nigeria Group USA.

Save the Persecuted Christians—an educational 501 (c)(3) non-profit charity registered in the United States of America—is a grassroots movement to save lives and save souls. We educate the public on anti-Christian violence and enlist their help in supporting those harmed for their faith in Jesus; holding those responsible accountable; and securing significant penalties on state and non-state persecutors of Christians.

Save Nigeria Group USA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to uplifting the lives of Nigerians both in the United States and in Nigeria. Founded on the belief that every Nigerian deserves access to opportunity, dignity, and justice, we work tirelessly to support the Nigerian-American community and provide critical assistance to those in need across Nigeria.

UPCOMING
Join us at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 20, to Rally for Nigeria’s Persecuted in front of the White House at Lafayette Park. Let us know you’re coming at SaveNigeriaGroup.org.
June 20^th Rally for Nigeria
Saturday, June 20, 2026
10 am Eastern
Venue: Lafayette Park
(across from the White House)
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Save the Persecuted Christians Hosts Briefing with UK Legalise Apostasy Campaign for House GOP Sharia Free America Caucus

Persecuted Christians — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:57:02 GMT

Washington, D.C. – Dede Laugesen, President & CEO of Save the Persecuted Christians, will host Nissar Hussain and Neil Petrie, co-founders of the U.K. Legalise Apostasy Campaign, for a briefing with members of the House GOP Sharia Free America Caucus.

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The briefing is scheduled for Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. ET in Canon House Office Building, Room 240. Members who attend will receive a copy of “The Law of Apostasy in Islam: Answering the Question Why There Are So Few Moslem Converts, and Giving Examples of Their Moral Courage and Martyrdom,” by Samuel M. Zwemer.

Nissar Hussain was nearly killed for leaving Islam in the U.K.

Nissar Hussain, born in the U.K. in 1965 to Pakistani immigrant parents, chose Christ in 1996. For over 20 years, he endured violent abuse, harassment, and attacks for his apostasy. In 2015, he was nearly beaten to death. In 2016, UK police forced him and his family into hiding, where they remain. Hussain has highlighted the neglect by public officials, police, and church leaders who failed to protect him.

Together with Neil Petrie, a former British Army Intelligence Corps officer with experience in U.S. intelligence and security operations across Central Asia and the Middle East, Hussain co-founded the Legalise Apostasy Campaign. The campaign seeks to build a formal legal case under the Genocide Convention against the 11 nations that impose the death penalty for apostasy from Islam.

“More than 380 million Christians face extreme violence and persecution worldwide, often intersecting with brutal enforcement of apostasy laws that punish freedom of belief,” said Dede Laugesen. “Nissar’s story exposes the human cost of Sharia-based systems that treat conversion as a capital crime. This briefing with the Sharia Free America Caucus will underscore the urgent need for accountability and action to protect religious freedom.”

The House GOP Sharia Free America Caucus is co-chaired by Reps. Keith Self (TX-03) and Chip Roy (TX-21), launched in December 2025 to counter the influence of Sharia law in the United States. The caucus asserts that sharia law is incompatible with the U.S. Constitution and American values of freedom, and it works to defend constitutional principles, raise awareness of sharia-related threats, and support legislation protecting religious liberty and national security. It has grown rapidly to over 60 members from more than 20 states and has held press conferences and two hearings this year. See here and here.

MORE HERE

The briefing aligns with Save the Persecuted Christians’ mission to expose perpetrators of religious persecution, support victims, and engage U.S. policymakers to uphold constitutional and universal rights to religious freedom. It builds on ongoing efforts, including advocacy for Nigeria’s persecuted Christians and the Legalize Apostasy initiative (legaliseapostasy.com).

Save the Persecuted Christians is a U.S.-based, multifaith, bipartisan nonprofit founded in 2018 dedicated to raising awareness of Christian persecution and advancing accountability for crimes against humanity. For more information, visit: savethepersecutedchristians.org

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Nigeria Desperately Needs a Credible Census

Persecuted Christians — Thu, 28 May 2026 19:42:00 GMT

How many orphans and vulnerable children are there in Nigeria today?

The honest answer is nobody truly knows.

In Nigeria, when I visited, I saw them. I held them. Every day, millions of unaccompanied children flood the streets and markets. Their clothes are in shambles, and their feet are bare. School is a distant dream.

As Islamic terror ramped up and spread, Nigeria stopped tracking the numbers.

A Crisis Compounded by Violence, Displacement, and Educational Collapse

They can’t safely go home. The attack on Yelewata last June, and others like it, prove they aren’t safe in the camps.

The education system reveals the scale of the failure. Recent data from the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, shows that of nearly 30 million pupils enrolled in primary school, only 6 million eventually advance to senior secondary education — meaning roughly 24 million children drop out along the way. UNICEF consistently reports around 10.5 million children aged 5–14 out of school, with broader estimates (including adolescents) reaching 18–20 million. Many of these children live in IDP camps or informal settlements, where trauma, malnutrition, and lack of services are rampant.

I have seen this reality firsthand. In Benue State IDP camps and overflowing orphanages in Plateau, I met children with distended bellies and haunted eyes — beautiful souls carrying unimaginable trauma. Their smiles mask deep pain. To much of the world, they remain invisible. To those who have looked into their faces, they are impossible to forget.

International Organizations Are Failing Them

It is unconscionable that major international bodies — including the UN, U.S. agencies, and prominent human rights organizations — continue quoting statistics that are 18 years old for OVC while the scale of suffering has grown. This creates a dangerous illusion of knowledge where ignorance actually reigns. Without current, credible data, effective humanitarian response is crippled.

At Save the Persecuted Christians and through the U.S.-Nigeria Civil Society Coalition, we are calling for urgent action. A transparent, nationwide census of orphans, vulnerable children, widows and IDPs — conducted with independent international observers — is essential. Nigeria cannot do this alone, and the international community cannot afford to remain blind.

We urge President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to press the Nigerian government for this census and to ensure that aid reaches the most vulnerable, particularly displaced Christians who receive little to no government support.

On International Day of the Child (June 14), we ask you to use your social media platforms to amplify the voices of Nigeria’s forgotten children. Digital assets are available in our social media toolkit at SaveThePersecutedChristians.org.

Join us in Washington, DC, on Saturday, June 20, from 10 AM to 3 PM ET for a Rally for Nigeria in front of the White House at Lafayette Park. Demand a census. Demand accountability. Demand action.

These children need to be counted — so they can be helped.

A credible census is the foundation for real solutions.

Dede Laugesen is President and CEO of Save the Persecuted Christians, a U.S.-based nonprofit advocating for persecuted Christians worldwide.

Contact: info@savethepersecutedchristians.org for interview or speaking opportunities.

Your support is needed. Please prayerfully consider contributing to the work of Save the Persecuted Christians. Become a member of our Defenders’ Guild with a monthly donation.

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Nigeria Update Episode 4 | Slavery in Nigeria, Then and Now

Persecuted Christians — Tue, 26 May 2026 20:33:37 GMT

Save the Persecuted Christians & Save Nigeria Group

A JOINT WEBINAR

Nigeria Update: Episode 4

Slavery in Nigeria, Then and Now

11 am ET, Wednesday, May 27, 2026

(This is a biweekly event every other Wednesday
starting April 15 and continuing through June 24.)

In episode 4 of the Nigeria Update, a biweekly current events briefing on Nigeria, co-hosts Dede Laugesen and Stephen Osemwegie will be joined by human rights and religious freedom experts Dr. Charles Jacobs, Pastor John Haruna, Douglas Burton, and Mike Arnold to analyze the historic and ongoing Islamic slave trade in Nigeria.

The Trans-Saharan slave trade, driven largely by Muslim North African and Arab traders from the 7th–8th centuries onward, formed a major part of Islamic involvement in African slavery. It lasted over 1,300 years, far longer than the transatlantic trade, and supplied enslaved Africans to North Africa, the Middle East, and beyond. Slavery predated Islam in the Sahel but expanded significantly under Muslim rule and trade networks. It coexisted with local African practices and later interacted with European trade.

Slavery was formally abolished in Africa, but hereditary descent-based slavery persists in places like parts of Mali, Mauritania, and northern Nigeria among some ethnic/Islamic social hierarchies.

Modern slavery in Nigeria and the Sahel, the region south of the Sahara Desert, is in full bloom as an ever-increasing array of jihadist groups engage in taking captives for ransom, unmitigated mass human trafficking, and sex-slavery.

Since 2009, Boko Haram (and its splinter Islamic State West Africa Province – ISWAP) and Muslim Fulani Militants in northeastern Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin have used abduction, sexual slavery, forced marriage, and child recruitment as core tactics. Nigeria alone has ~1.6 million in modern slavery (2023 estimates), exacerbated by insurgency, though not all conflict-related, according to the international human rights group, Walk Free.

Join us at 11 a.m. ET, Wednesday, May 27, for our next Nigeria Update, Episode 4, “Slavery in Nigeria, Then and Now,” as we dig deep into the ongoing crisis of human trafficking and captivity as it relates to history and the modern context of terrorism, genocide, and efforts to end it in Africa.

SUPPORT STPC

Become a Member of the STPC Defender’s Guild by giving monthly.

Moderator & Host

Dede Laugesen, President and CEO, Save the Persecuted Christians

Co-Host

Stephen Osemwegie, President, Save Nigeria Group

Panelists

Dr. Charles Jacobs, President of Americans for Peace and Tolerance (APT) and Board member of Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME); Professor of Public Law and Political Science at Washington & Jefferson College
Pastor John Haruna, Senior Christian clergyman based in the Kuru District of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria at Church of Christ in Nations
Douglas Burton, Editor, TruthNigeria.com
Mike Arnold, President, Arise Africa

SEE EPISODE 1 HERE
SEE EPISODE 2 HERE
SEE EPISODE 3 HERE

Hosts of the Webinar

This webinar is jointly hosted by Save the Persecuted Christians and Save Nigeria Group USA.

UPCOMING
June 20^th Rally for Nigeria
Saturday, June 20, 2026
10 am Eastern
Venue: Lafayette Park
(across from the White House)
Washington DC/US Capitol
GET DETAILS

SUPPORT STPC

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Nigeria Update Episode 3 | The Warfare on Women

Persecuted Christians — Tue, 12 May 2026 17:46:52 GMT

Save the Persecuted Christians & Save Nigeria Group
A JOINT WEBINAR

Nigeria Update: Episode 3

The Warfare on Women
Remembering Deborah Emmanuel and Leah Sharibu

11 am ET, Wednesday, May 13, 2026

(This is a biweekly event every other Wednesday
starting April 15 and continuing through June 24.)

(Washington, DC)—Jihadists in Nigeria are waging a deliberate war on women and children. Women and girls comprise at least 60 percent of those targeted by terrorists because they are seen as vulnerable and innocent. Fulani militias, Boko Haram, and other jihadist groups employ sexual violence—including rape, mass rape, abduction, sex slavery, forced conversion, forced marriage, and childbearing—as a strategic tactic of terror. These attacks punish women for their Christian faith, destroy their dignity, rob them of identity, and spread fear throughout communities. Survivors who return often face shame, ostracism, and rejection, placing entire communities under duress and driving displacement.

Join us for a robust discussion on this specific terror tactic designed to maximize fear, break communities, and force flight.

Featured Speakers

Dede Laugesen, President & CEO of Save the Persecuted Christians. Dede is the founder and driving force behind the organization, which raises awareness about the global persecution of Christians and advocates for policy changes to protect them. She previously served as community awareness director for St. Rafka Mission of Hope and Mercy, working with Christian genocide refugees from Syria and Iraq.
Commissioner Maureen Ferguson, U.S. International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) (appointed by Speaker Mike Johnson); Senior Fellow with The Catholic Association; co-host of the nationally syndicated radio show “Conversations with Consequences” and serves on advisory boards including the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture at the University of Notre Dame and the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast; She is a widely published writer and strategic advisor on cultural, political, family, and human rights issues.
Dr. Gloria Samdi Puldu, President, The Leah Foundation; Global Director, Give Her Voice; Dr. Puldu is a professor of political science and university lecturer at the University of Jos and a passionate advocate for the sanctity of human life, women’s rights, and the release of Leah Sharibu. Through The Leah Foundation, she champions education, empowerment, and advocacy for persecuted women and girls in Nigeria.
Hon. Sarah Makin, former Deputy Assistant to President Trump and Senior Director/Senior Advisor on International Religious Freedom at the National Security Council during Trump’s first term. She previously served in the Office of the Vice President under Mike Pence, focusing on public engagement and intergovernmental affairs.
Douglas Burton, Managing Editor of “Truth Nigeria” and award-winning conflict reporter. Doug specializes in Nigerian security issues and religious persecution. A former assignment editor for “The Washington Times”, he has covered the Middle East and mentors local reporters in North-Central Nigeria. His work has appeared in “The Epoch Times”, Catholic News Agency, and elsewhere; he received first place from the Catholic Media Association for coverage of religious liberty issues.
Hon. Stephen Osemwegie, Founder, Save Nigeria Group USA is the President and Founder of Save Nigeria Group USA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the welfare of Nigerians both in the United States and in Nigeria. Under his leadership, the organization champions education, human rights, religious freedom, healthcare access, and advocacy for democracy and equality.

Remembering the Victims

Deborah Emmanuel, (also known as Deborah Yakubu), was a 22-year-old Christian student at Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto, Nigeria. On May 12, 2022, she was accused of blasphemy in a WhatsApp group, dragged from a security post by a mob of fellow students, beaten, stoned to death, and her body burned. No one was prosecuted for her death. Her murder highlights the deadly enforcement of blasphemy accusations against Christians.

Leah Sharibu was 14 years old when she was abducted along with over 100 classmates from the Government Girls Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State, on February 19, 2018, by ISWAP (a Boko Haram faction affiliated with ISIS). Most girls were released, but Leah remains in captivity—the only one held because she refused to renounce her Christian faith and convert to Islam. Her courage has made her a global symbol of resilience. Her birthday is May 14.

This webinar will explore the ongoing crisis, honor these victims, and discuss pathways for advocacy, accountability, and support for persecuted communities in Nigeria.

Register now to join the conversation and stand with the persecuted.

Hosts of the Webinar

This webinar is jointly hosted by Save the Persecuted Christians and Save Nigeria Group USA.

PREVIOUS EPISODES
SEE EPISODE 1 HERE
SEE EPISODE 2 HERE

UPCOMING
June 20^th Rally for Nigeria
Saturday, June 20, 2026
10 am Eastern
Venue: Lafayette Park
(across from the White House)
Washington DC/US Capitol
GET DETAILS and/or DONATE to SUPPORT.

DONATE TO STPC

Nigeria Update: Episode 2

Persecuted Christians — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 20:33:51 GMT

A JOINT WEBINAR

Nigeria Update: Episode 2

11 am ET, Wednesday, April 29, 2026

(This is a biweekly event every other Wednesday
starting April 15 and continuing through June 24.)

Dede Laugesen, President & CEO of Save the Persecuted Christians, will host special guests for a discussion on current and historic religious, economic, social, and political drivers of violence in Nigeria.
Mark Lipdo, President, Stefanos Foundation, Jos, Nigeria
therisinghope.substack.com | facebook.com/Stefanosfoundation
Engr. Mark Lipdo is a prominent Nigerian Christian rights activist and the founder and Program Coordinator of Stefanos Foundation, a non-governmental organization based in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria; Stefanos Foundation was established on February 16, 2004, to address the persecution of Christians in Northern Nigeria; He shares in-depth analysis and personal reflections on socio-political issues and religious freedom through his publication, The Rising Hope
Rev. Peter Ladi Thompson, fmr. Deputy Secretary, African Union
elifeonline.net/books-by-rev-ladi-thompson
Rev. Peter Ladi Thompson is a security expert who served as Deputy Secretary for Peace & Security at the African Union. His team has been at the forefront of terrorism in Nigeria since the 90s; He is a special adviser for Conflict Resolution & Matters related to Terrorism for the Christian Association of Nigeria, based in Abuja, and is in ministry at Living Waters Unlimited Church; He is a statesman, security consultant, and author of many books
Mike Arnold, Co-founder, US-based Arise Africa
mikearnold.org
As co-founder of Africa Arise, he stepped into war-torn IDP camps in Nigeria—where millions displaced by Boko Haram were largely forgotten—and helped establish full-time schools for the most vulnerable children in the region. Now he’s producing a feature documentary film to magnify the light in this darkness. No back-office staff, no bloated overhead. Just local leadership, real relationships, and a model that works. In October, 2025, Mike was invited to be a shill for the Nigerian government. Instead, he courageously blew the lid off the Genocide of Christians there at a press conference hosted by the Nigerian government. What followed was rapid engagement by President Trump in designating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern.
Stephen Osemwegie, President of the US-based Save Nigeria Group
savenigeriagroup.org
Stephen Osemwegie is a very welcome coalition partner for Save the Persecuted Christians. He is the President and Founder of Save Nigeria Group USA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the welfare of Nigerians both in the United States and in Nigeria. Save Nigeria Group is leading a large coalition of Nigerian civil society leaders in both countries to unite to end the Genocide of Christians. Save the Persecuted Christians is happy to be among its members. On June 20, the US-Nigeria Civil Society Coalition will host a rally at the White House and we want all of YOU to join us!
RALLY for Nigeria on June 20 in front of the White House!
Join American Christians standing in solidarity for Christians in Nigeria. Help us end this Genocide. We need YOU to be there with us. More information and to RSVP, visit this link | https://savenigeriagroup.org/protect-nigerian-christians-rally/

RSVP for the June 20 Rally

WATCH EPISODE 1

DONATE TO STPC

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Nigeria Update

Persecuted Christians — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 23:31:57 GMT

Join us tomorrow, April 15th, at 11:00 AM ET, and every other Wednesday through June, for news and analysis on what’s happening to Christians in Nigeria.

April 15th, at 11:00 AM ET

Save the Persecuted Christians, in partnership with the U.S. Save Nigeria Group Civil Society Coalition, will present a biweekly update on the state of Genocide in Nigeria.

Host:

Dede Laugesen, President & CEO, Save the Persecuted Christians, USA
Dede is president of Save the Persecuted Christians, a U.S. non-profit founded in 2018 that raises awareness about the severe persecution faced by over 388 million Christians worldwide amid brutal violence in a record number of countries. She leads a coalition of more than 200 civil society leaders dedicated to exposing perpetrators and urging officials to hold them accountable for crimes against humanity. Previously, she helped direct the Committee on the Present Danger: China and the Sovereignty Coalition and served as a coalition director for the 2016 Donald J. Trump presidential campaign in Colorado. Married for over 30 years, she is the mother of six sons. Dede, a Colorado native, and her husband Wayne have resided in Colorado since 1992.
Dede went to Nigeria in January, 2023, just before Bola Tinubu became president in Nigeria. She went to see for herself what was happening. She went to Makurdi in Benue and Jos in Plateau. The small group traveled with armed guards on the dangerous roads where kidnappers lie in wait. They visited massive IDP camps where people like us — families, children, the elderly, everyone — live in the mud and dirt. She encountered thousands upon thousands of people, most Christian, who had been forced from their lands by Fulani militia and other Islamic jihadists. She encountered the truth and she’s bringing it to you.

Participants:

Alheri Bawa Magaji, Co-Director, RADi Foundation, Nigeria
She is a passionate humanitarian, an advocate for social equality and an entrepreneur who has been at the forefront of intervening for vulnerable people. With two master’s degrees from the Eastern Mediterranean University in North Cyprus, and valuable working experience as a researcher and gender specialist with the Center for Women Studies also in North Cyprus, she brings valuable experience to RADi, working with internally displaced people and empowering them.
She is also the country facilitator for Revealing Light Ministries, a trauma healing organization. Both RADi and Revealing Light are coalition partners with Save the Persecuted Christians.
Douglas Burton, TruthNigeria.com, USA
Douglas Burton is an award-winning conflict reporter specializing in Nigerian war news. Doug mentors conflict reporters in North-Central Nigeria as Managing Editor of TruthNigeria.com. Since 2019, he has authored hundreds of reports appearing in The Epoch Times, The Catholic News Agency, and Providence Magazine, among others. His work has been featured in Fox Nation, Christian Broadcasting Network, Epoch Times TV, The Westminster Institute, and The Washington Times. Doug was honored by the Catholic Media Association in June 2023 as a First Place Winner for Best Coverage of Religious Liberty Issues.
Having served the Washington Times Corporation as an assignment editor for 2 decades, Doug brought his skills to Baghdad in 2005 to support the U.S. occupation for 2 years. From 2015, he began covering the campaign against the Islamic State as an independent reporter until 2017 and switched to reporting on the persecution of Christians in Nigeria shortly after joining the Save the Persecuted Christians coalition. Notably, he produced the most complete story about the blasphemy murder-by-mob of Deborah Emmanuel on May 12, 2022, in Nigeria’s northern city of Sokoto.
Judd Saul, Equipping the Persecuted, USA and Nigeria
Judd Saul, is a family man, an award-winning documentary filmmaker, an entrepreneur, and a missionary who embarked on a call to action in Nigeria in 2011. He and his wife, Sherry, have 5 children, all of whom witnessed the vision unfold when their Grandfather, Duane Wessels, invited Judd to join him on a mission trip. The trip changed Judd’s life forever. He realized the stark reality of the risk and sacrifice facing these people, and a burden was placed on his heart for the lost and persecuted Christians in Nigeria. Since then, ministering to Nigerians has been a part of Judd’s life, with him regularly serving in Nigeria for over 10 years and continuing to visit at least 3-4 times a year. It was apparent that escalating attacks outpaced the few Christian missions and organizations that were effectively responding to them. After talking with local ministers and missionaries, Judd decided to start Equipping The Persecuted to quickly respond to and help persecuted Christians in need.
The local leadership affirmed that there are effective ways to help persecuted Christians in addition to victim aftercare. A proactive, prevention mission was put together with a team of “tested by fire” pastors, missionaries, and dedicated supporters to avert crises - creating the boots on the ground, locally-managed Equipping The Persecuted, which has been instrumental in providing early alerts to targeted communities.
Stephen Osemwegie, President, Save Nigeria Group, USA Nigerian Diaspora
Stephen Osemwegie is a new and very welcome coalition partner for Save the Persecuted Christians. He is the President and Founder of Save Nigeria Group USA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the welfare of Nigerians both in the United States and in Nigeria. Under his leadership, the organization champions education, human rights, religious freedom, healthcare access, and advocacy for democracy and equality. Save Nigeria Group is leading a large coalition of Nigerian civil society leaders in both countries to unite to end the Genocide of Christians. Save the Persecuted Christians is happy to be among its members.
Born in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, Stephen is a devout Christian and an active member of the United States Evangelical Free Church in the Midwest. He is married to Dr. Chioma Osemwegie, and they have three children. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Nigeria, Enugu, a Master’s Degree from South West Minnesota State University, and is pursuing a Ph.D. at Columbia International University, USA.
A successful entrepreneur and former Labour Party Gubernatorial Aspirant in Edo State, he continues to inspire reform and youth empowerment through his vision of “A New Direction for Nigeria.” Stephen represents a rising generation of young leaders committed to transparency, good governance, and building a prosperous, just, and secure Nigeria.

Nigeria Update

11 am ET, Wednesday, April 15, 2026

(This will be a biweekly event every other Wednesday
starting April 15 and continuing through June 24.)

News from TruthNigeria

Five Killed, 150 Abducted in Niger in Fulani Militia Assault
April 8, 2026
https://truthnigeria.com/2026/04/five-killed-150-abducted-in-niger-in-fulani-militia-assault/

Easter Sunday Betrayal: Army Rescue Story Collapses as 36 Christians Remain Missing
April 7, 2026
https://truthnigeria.com/2026/04/easter-sunday-betrayal-army-rescue-story-collapses-as-36-christians-remain-missing/

Easter Marked by Bloodshed in Northern Nigeria as Attacks Hit Churches, Villages
April 6, 2026
https://truthnigeria.com/2026/04/easter-marked-by-bloodshed-in-northern-nigeria-as-attacks-hit-churches-villages/

Easter Massacre in Benue State as Jihadists Kill 17 in New Attack
April 6, 2026
https://truthnigeria.com/2026/04/easter-massacre-in-benue-state-as-jihadists-kill-17-in-new-attack/

Easter Massacre in Southern Kaduna: Fulani Gunmen Kill 15
April 5, 2026
https://truthnigeria.com/2026/04/easter-massacre-in-southern-kaduna-fulani-gunmen-kill-15-before-army-rescues-31/

Palm Sunday Killings Expose Nigeria’s Terror Financing Crisis
April 2, 2026
https://truthnigeria.com/2026/04/palm-sunday-killings-expose-nigerias-terror-financing-crisis/

Plan to Attend: U.S. Save Nigeria Group Civil Society Coalition

RALLY FOR NIGERIA | SATURDAY, JUNE 20 | 10 am - 3 pm ET |
LAFAYETTE PARK > In front of the White House

VIDEO: Dede Laugesen Warns U.S. Lawmakers on the 'Open-air Auschwitz' Operating in Nigeria's Rijana Forest

Persecuted Christians — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 22:47:22 GMT

Last week on Capitol Hill, Dede Laugesen, president of Save the Persecuted Christians, warned lawmakers on the “open-air Auschwitz” operating in Rijana forest.

Help Save Christians

Rijana forest is an area of dense forestation and brush that conceals terrorist hostage camps operated by Fulani militias in close proximity to known Nigerian military installations where kidnap-for-ransom victims are tortured, starved and often murdered whether ransom is paid or not.

Nigerian officials must be pressured to clear these terror dens and free the captives. Nothing will improve for Christians until the industrial-scale, widespread, kidnapping campaigns are disrupted.

On Sunday, in a coordinated attack on three churches, 160+ Christians were taken captive and hauled off into Rijana forest.

Please pray for their safe return. Please share this so more can be done to SET THE CAPTIVES FREE.

Thanks for reading! This post is public so feel free to share it.

“It was an honor to give remarks on Capitol Hill last week on the Genocide of Christians in Nigeria,” said Laugesen. “Many don’t know about the hostage camps in Rijana forest where kidnap-for-ransom victims are tortured and starved until a ransom is paid, or killed. Kidnapping has become an indusrty that is bankrupting entire Christian communities and forcing them off their lands and out of their homes. Millions upon millions are affected and made destitute by Fulani militant gangs raising money to support more terror. In essence, Christians are being forced to fund the terror that haunts them day and night.

“They raised money, paid the ransom, and were told to come collect their pastor’s body,” a family representative said at the time. “He was killed simply for being a man of God.”

Widow of Anglican Cleric and Child Freed after Brutal Murder

By News Desk | January 16, 2026

Sarah Achi and daughter after release | Photo Credit: ACCN | Facebook.

Fulani Ethnic Killers Taunting Authorities: Expert

Ransom was paid, the priest was executed, the hostages were held for weeks afterward, and no arrests have been announced.

By Mary Kiara

(Kaduna) – After 78 days in captivity, the wife and daughter of an Anglican priest murdered by his abductors have been released in northern Nigeria, according to family members and church officials. They are receiving medical care. No official explanation has been provided for their release, and no arrests have been announced.

Sarah Achi and her daughter were freed late Wednesday, January 15, 2026, ending a kidnapping that began with the execution of their husband and father, Venerable Edwin Achi, Priest-in-Charge of Ebenezer Anglican Church, Ungwan Maijero, in Kaduna State.

READ THE FULL STORY AT TRUTHNIGERIA.COM

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Bring the Children Home this Christmas

Persecuted Christians — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 19:29:57 GMT

Credits: Martha Hudson and Oleg Atbashian

WATCH NOW

Dedicated to over 250 children abducted by Islamist militants from a Catholic boarding school in Nigeria.

UPDATE: The terrorists stormed the school on Nov. 21, 2025 at about 9:30 a.m., taking 303 students and 12 teachers. Fifty hostages escaped within hours, leaving 265 in captivity. With 100 freed, as of December 8, and another 115 reportedly freed as of today, December 21, it seems 50 remain missing including 12 adults.

The Nigerian government often holds onto recovered children for a period of time before they release them to their parents or guardians. Save the Persecuted Christians will remain sceptical of these reports until the children are actually home and independent journalists confirm their arrival and condition.

Please keep praying.

Even should ALL of these children come home, many other children remain in hostage camps across Nigeria — camps often located near to military installations and police garrisons. We will not be silent until all of Nigeria’s missing children are home where they should be with their parents celebrating Christmas in peace.

Please share this song with your families and friends this Christmas as we labor to remember these precious persecuted souls this Christmas.

Lyrics and chords can be found at our website here. https://savethepersecutedchristians.org/bring-the-children-home-this-christmas-original-music-video/

CHRISTMAS MATCHED GIVING

About Save the Persecuted Christians

Save the Persecuted Christians is a grassroots movement dedicated to raising awareness and mobilizing action to aid Christians and other religious minorities facing persecution worldwide. Through advocacy, education, and partnerships, the organization works to influence policy and provide direct support to those in need. Learn more at SaveThePersecutedChristians.org.

TERRORISMS IMPACT ON EDUCATION

Terrorism in Nigeria, driven primarily by groups like Boko Haram and armed bandits, has severely disrupted education, leading to plummeting school attendance rates, particularly in the northern regions. Frequent attacks on schools, mass kidnappings, and pervasive insecurity have forced widespread closures, with over 1,680 schoolchildren abducted between 2014 and 2023, resulting in at least 180 deaths and the destruction of 25 school buildings.

This has instilled fear among parents, who often keep children at home, contributing to high out-of-school rates—such as 72% of children in Borno State never having attended school and only 61% of 6-11-year-olds regularly attending primary school in the North West. Recent data from 2024-2025 indicates that in states like Kebbi, 67% of girls and 62% of boys are not enrolled in primary school, exacerbated by ongoing abductions, including the November 2025 incident involving over 300 students in Niger State. Additionally, insecurity has led to teacher shortages, with over 600 educators killed and 19,000 displaced, further straining educational access.

Perceptions from parents, teachers, and students underscore the psychological impact, with all groups reporting that insurgency causes irregular attendance, dropouts, and relocations due to fears of bombings, abductions, and assassinations. In Bauchi and Kaduna states, official primary attendance rates stand at 38.6% and 66.5%, respectively, influenced by factors such as distance, fees, and cultural barriers, and compounded by terrorism-related disruptions, including school suspensions and infrastructure damage.

Overall, these dynamics have positioned Nigeria with one of the world’s highest numbers of out-of-school children, hindering long-term societal progress and increasing vulnerability to further extremism.

GIVE

’Tis the Season for Sharia’s Jihad: New Report Offers A “Second Opinion” on Upcoming Official One

Persecuted Christians — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 23:33:55 GMT

BanTheBrotherHood.com

WASHINGTON, D.C.— ’Tis the season for celebrating traditions of the great Abrahamic faiths. Christmas markets and Hannukah parties. Increasingly, however, adherents to sharia – which is actually not a religion, let alone one the Bible’s Abraham would embrace – are emulating Mohammed’s jihad against Christians and Jews.

It’s a reasonable bet that those jihadis are inspired – if not actually enabled – by the Muslim Brotherhood or its myriad allies, front groups, “chapters” and “subdivisions.” So are others pursuing in pre-violent ways what President Trump calls “civilization erasure.”

Consequently, President Trump has to decide if he’ll do nationally what Texas and Florida’s governors have done in their states, namely, ban the Brotherhood. He’s asked his Secretaries of State and Treasury to advise him. Today, our Victory Coalition is, too, with a report called, The Choice: “Ban the Brotherhood” or Face “Civilization Erasure” Here.

PDF "The Choice"

The Choice draws on an extraordinary analysis conducted fifteen years ago by an eminent group of national security practitioners and other patriots known as “Team B II.” Their report was sponsored by the Center for Security Policy and entitled, Sharia: The Threat to America. It powerfully refuted that era’s prevailing official view that the Muslim Brotherhood “eschewed violence” and therefore was moderate and a natural ally in the so-called “War on Terror” and the “violent extremists” waging it against us. Unfortunately, that view continues largely to guide U.S. policy today.

With the benefit of hindsight, however, it is clear that Team B II was right: The Muslim Brotherhood fully embraces sharia with its emphasis on achieving the global caliphate, through violent conquest wherever possible. Only in those instances where such jihad might prove counterproductive do the Brotherhood and its affiliates opt for other, not so much non-violent but pre-kinetic and often stealthy techniques to advance the same goal.

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By responding so incompetently to the actual, present and growing danger posed by the Muslim Brotherhood, its proxies and allies, willfully blind officials are actually inducing the sharia-supremacists to perceive that the realization of their pursuit of “civilization erasure” of the West and global domination is at hand. That perception requires them doctrinally to redouble their efforts decisively and violently to conquer their infidel enemies.

The Choice reprises Team B’s findings about sharia and its operationalization by the Muslim Brotherhood, together with insights from a powerful Victory Coalition briefing on December 12, 2025, to address responsibly and impactfully current and very real threats to our form of government and people emanating from the Muslim Brotherhood and its enablers in Qatar and Turkey. The Victory Coalition is a coalition partner at Save the Persecuted Christians, one of over 200 groups aligned with our mission.

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The bottom line is that we must jettison the irresponsible policies of the past – including such practices as: officials embracing Brotherhood leaders and organizations; ignoring the ideological character and implications of sharia; focusing exclusively, and, at best, episodically, on violent actions, but remaining willfully blind to their true jihadist motivations; etc. – in favor of more realistic and far more effective approaches.

Learn more about The Choice and such approaches for free at BantheBrotherhood.org.

Trump’s “Choice”: The Most Important National Security Decision of His 2^nd Presidency

Ban the Brotherhood or Face “Civilization Erasure” Here

11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m. ET
Friday, December 19, 2025

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LEAH, DID YOU KNOW?

Persecuted Christians — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 17:41:15 GMT

Credits: Dede Laugesen and Oleg Atbashian
Lyrics and chords can be found at our website here.

WASHINGTON, DC — This song is dedicated to #LeahSharibu, who at 14 on February 19, 2018, was abducted at a science and technology school for girls in the town of Dapchi, in Yobe State, Nigeria, with 109 other students, five of whom died on the way to the terrorist hideout.

Leah repeatedly stared down the terrorists and refused to renounce her Christian faith.

Friends, held in captivity with Leah, said that every time the terrorists with their guns demanded, “Who here is a Christian?” Leah’s arm would shoot up even as her peers tried to force it down.

A month later, all the living captives were released save Leah.

Leah was kept as “a slave for life” because of her Christian faith, while the other young captives were released due to government negotiations with ISWAP. The terrorists said, “Based on our doctrines, it is now lawful for us to do whatever we want to do with her.”

Leah, still held today is reportedly married off to an ISWAP commander and is being forced to bear him children. Accounts of her fearless faith have encouraged millions of Christians facing extreme persecution.

Save the Persecuted Christians, along with Hon. Frank R. Wolf and ICON, brought Leah’s mom, Rebecca, to Washington, DC, to plead for her rescue.

Many human rights advocates believe the Nigerian government knows where Leah is kept but has not moved to rescue her. Leah is one of thousands of Christian women and girls held hostage in camps, sold as slaves, or forcibly “married” to jihadists.

“The genocide of Christians in Nigeria has been a terrible cross to bear for the women and children. We must do all we can to bring them home,” said Dede Laugesen, president of Save the Persecuted Christians.

Please pray for her rescue as we seek to help her come home again!

Share this song to keep her story alive.

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Gloria Puldu, President, The Leah Foundation

Save the Persecuted Christians has worked for years with Gloria Puldu, president of The Leah Foundation, to keep fresh the story of Leah Sharibu and all the women and girls of Nigeria who suffer at the hands of Islamists. We recently arranged for Ms. Puldu to appear on “The Faulkner Focus” with Harris Faulkner as part of our mission to educate Americans on the brutal realities of Christian persecution globally and to help its victims have a voice in the West.

Dr. Gloria Samdi Puldu, President of The Leah Foundation in Nigeria with Dede Laugesen, President of Save the Persecuted Christians

STATISTICS ON NIGERIAN SCHOOL ABDUCTIONS

More than 2,000 Nigerian students have been kidnapped in mass school abductions by terrorists (primarily Boko Haram) or bandits since the 2014 Chibok incident, though exact figures vary due to inconsistent reporting and multiple incidents.

A 2023 Save the Children report documented 1,683 schoolchildren kidnapped since the Chibok abduction of 276 girls.
Major incidents since then include approximately 287 students in Kaduna (March 2024), 25 girls in Kebbi (November 2025, later released), and over 300 (303 students plus staff) from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niger state (November 2025).
Adding these and smaller cases pushes the total above 2,000. Earlier 2025 reports citing 1,400–1,500 likely reflect pre-2024/2025 data.

Several hundred students remain in captivity overall, though most victims from bandit-led kidnappings are eventually released after ransoms (often paid privately despite bans).

From Chibok (2014): About 82 girls remain missing as of the latest Amnesty International update in 2024, with no reported changes in 2025.
From the November 2025 St. Mary’s abduction: Initially 315 taken (303 students, 12 staff); ~50 escaped soon after, and 100 were released by early December, leaving approximately 165 still held as of mid-December 2025.
Victims from most other incidents (e.g., Dapchi 2018, Kankara 2020, Kaduna 2024) have been released or rescued, with rare exceptions involving deaths or individuals retained (often for ideological reasons in Boko Haram cases).

These figures come from cross-referenced reports by UNICEF, Amnesty International, Save the Children, BBC, Al Jazeera, Reuters, and others. School abductions have surged in northern Nigeria due to banditry for ransom and lingering jihadist activity, though many cases resolve through negotiations rather than rescues.

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Prevent “Civilization Erasure” in America: Start by Banning the Brotherhood

Persecuted Christians — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 16:06:25 GMT

Hello friends of persecuted Christians!

Thank you for your heart for the persecuted. One of our Save the Persecuted Christians (STPC) coalition partners, The Victory Coalition, is hosting a very important program today on the importance of President Trump’s move to ban the Muslim Brotherhood.

Part of our mission at STPC is to elevate our coalition partners and all they are doing to promote the cause of religious freedom, to protect and defend the persecuted and to hold the perpetrators accountable for their crimes.

Join the Victory Coalition webinar today and get informed on the greatest threat to Western Civilization and what you and others can do to ensure its survival and that of America, the land that we love. Information on how to register is below.

With trust in Jesus!
Dede

About Save the Persecuted Christians
Save the Persecuted Christians is a grassroots movement dedicated to raising awareness and mobilizing action to aid Christians and other religious minorities facing persecution worldwide. Through advocacy, education, and partnerships, the organization works to influence policy and provide direct support to those in need. Learn more at SaveThePersecutedChristians.org.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— President Trump’s new National Security Strategy has offended Europeans with its warning that they face “the prospect of civilizational erasure.” While several reasons for that dire prognosis are offered, the key one appears to be “migration policies that are transforming the continent and creating strife.”

Unsaid, but clearly a factor in erasing Western civilization in Europe, is the rising aggressiveness of Islamic immigrants increasingly under the influence of, and weaponized by, the Muslim Brotherhood and other sharia-supremacists financed by Qatar and enabled by Turkey.

Unfortunately, similar forces are working to erase civilization in this country, as well. The Trump administration is expected shortly to decide whether to join Governors Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida in effectively banning the Muslim Brotherhood.

The next Victory Coalition briefing from 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. ET tomorrow will address: the determination of the Muslim Brotherhood – and the countless millions under its considerable influence – to erase Western civilization and impose in its place Islam’s barbaric, totalitarian sharia code; the progress being made to that end in Europe and here; corrective actions taken in Texas and Florida, respectively, by Govs. Abbott and DeSantis to designate the Muslim Brotherhood and its most prominent front group, the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) as what they are: foreign terrorist organizations; and the urgent need for President Trump to do the same. Register to participate at VictoryCo.org.

Join us in encouraging President Trump to protect our constitutional Republic and defend Western civilization at BantheBrotherhood.org.

What: A Webinar about the Threat of “Civilization Erasure” in Europe and America and the Imperative Need to Designate the Muslim Brotherhood and C.A.I.R. as Terrorist Organizations

When: 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. ET on Friday, December 12th.

Who:

Moderator:

Frank Gaffney, President, Institute for the American Future; Member, Victory Coalition; Briefing Co-sponsor; host, “Securing America”

Panelists:

Lt. Cmdr./Dr. David Wurmser, PhD, U.S. Navy (Ret.), former Middle East advisor to an Under Secretary of State, National Security Advisor and Vice President of the United States; naval intelligence veteran; Director, Middle East Program, Center for Security Policy

Robert Spencer, Executive Director, JihadWatch.org; Shillman Fellow, David Horowitz Freedom Center; author of thirty-two books including most recently, Intifada on the Hudson: The Selling of Zohran Mamdani (Invited)

Peter McIlvenna, Podcaster, Hearts of Oak; staff assistant to Lord Malcolm Pearson, Member of the U.K. House of Lords; freedom-fighter

Charles “Sam” Faddis, retired career Clandestine Service Operative, Central Intelligence Agency; Army veteran; former Assistant Attorney-General for Washington State, author among works of Beyond Repair: The Decline and Fall of the CIA

David Yerushalmi, Esq., Co-founder and Senior Counsel, American Freedom Law Center; co-author, Sharia: The Threat to America; original drafter of model legislation known as “American Laws for American Courts” (Invited)

Trevor Loudon, author of, among other works: The Enemy Within, Security Risk Senators and House UnAmericans; podcaster; essayist; and Senior Fellow, Institute for the American Future (Invited)

Hon. George Rasley, Managing Editor, ConservativeHQ.org; former advisor to a U.S. Vice President and several federal legislators; veteran of over 300 political campaigns (Invited)

Sponsor: The Victory Coalition’s mission is to focus on the need for victory over those determined to impose Sharia – whether by violent jihad or the stealthy, subversive kind – on Americans here at home and on their friends and allies in the Middle East and beyond.

Faith Leaders and Advocates Decry Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Omission of Mark Walker from Critical Confirmation Hearing

Persecuted Christians — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 22:50:53 GMT

Washington, DC – December 11, 2025 – A coalition of prominent faith leaders and organizations dedicated to supporting persecuted religious communities worldwide today expressed profound disappointment over the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s decision not to include President Trump’s nominee, former Congressman Mark Walker, for U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom in today’s confirmation hearing. Despite an urgent letter sent to Chairman James E. Risch on December 9, 2025, highlighting the nominee’s qualifications and the pressing need for leadership amid global religious freedom crises, Walker’s nomination was notably absent from the agenda—again.

The letter, signed by dozens of influential figures including pastors, advocates, and heads of international organizations, emphasized Walker’s proven track record as a bipartisan champion for human rights and religious liberty. Nominated in April 2025, Walker—a former U.S. Representative and pastor—is still in limbo, leaving a critical vacancy at a time when persecuted Christians and other religious minorities face escalating threats globally. The signatories argued that confirming Walker would enable swift action on President Trump’s priorities to defend religious freedom and persecuted Christians globally and integrate foreign assistance functions following the closure of USAID.

Dede Laugesen, President of Save the Persecuted Christians (STPC) and lead signatory, stated: “We are deeply disheartened that Chairman Risch has not yet taken up Walker’s hearing. The prolonged vacancy in the Office of International Religious Freedom undermines America’s commitment to protecting one of its foundational freedoms abroad. Chairman Risch and the Committee had a clear opportunity to advance this vital nomination in the final hearing of the year, and their failure to do so sends a troubling signal amid ongoing global crises like the genocide of Christians in Nigeria. We urge the Senate to prioritize Walker’s confirmation without further delay to ensure effective U.S. advocacy for the persecuted.”

The STPC coalition pointed to the significant restructuring at the U.S. Department of State, including the integration of foreign aid, as a pivotal moment requiring confirmed leadership. A Senate-confirmed Ambassador-at-Large would provide essential direction under the International Religious Freedom Act, fostering engagement with foreign governments and robust policy implementation.

Other signatories echoed the sentiment, stressing the urgency:

Bob Fu, President of China Aid: “In regions like China, where religious persecution is rampant, delays in leadership cost lives. Mark Walker’s expertise is needed now more than ever.”
Nina Shea, Senior Fellow and Director of Hudson’s Center for Religious Freedom at the Hudson Institute: “This omission is a missed opportunity to reaffirm America’s role as a global defender of religious liberty.”
Hon. Frank Wolf, retired Congressman (VA): “I’ve seen firsthand the impact of strong advocacy for the persecuted. Confirming Walker would honor that legacy and protect vulnerable communities worldwide.”

The full list of signatories includes:

Dr. Oluwasayo Ajiboye, President, Mission Africa International
Karmella Borashan, Chair, Office of Advocacy and Government Relations, Assyrian Parliament
Daniel Emig, Consultant, Frontier Partners International
Bob Fu, President, China Aid
Frank Gaffney, President, Institute for the American Future
Ellen Grigsby, Strategic Relationships Dir., Frontline’s International
Suzanne Grishman, Executive Director, Mercury One and The Nazarene Fund
Lauren Homer, President, Law and Liberty Trust
Martha Hudson, Senior Advisor for MENA, Near East Center for Strategic Engagement
Dr. Charles Jacobs, President, Jewish Leadership Project
Rev. Kevin Jessip, President, Global Strategic Alliance
Eric Metaxas, Host, The Eric Metaxas Show
Faith McDonnell, Director of Advocacy, Katartismos Global
Greg Mitchell, Founder & CEO, IRF Secretariat
Jennifer Noyes, Executive Director, New Wineskins Missions Network
Michael Parks, President/CEO, Frontier Partners International
Dr. Jorge Parrott, President, Christ’s Mandate for Missions
Judd Saul, President, Equipping the Persecuted
Ann Schockett, Past President, Advisor, Board Member, National Federation of Republican Women
Nina Shea, Senior Fellow and Director of Hudson’s Center for Religious Freedom, Hudson Institute
Mike Ramirez, Retired, San Antonio Patriots
Mark Singer, Organizer-Leader, Moral Action Ministry
Patricia Streeter, Co-Leader, Anglican Persecuted Church Network
Nadine Maenza, Co-Chair, IRF Roundtable
Hon. Frank Wolf, Congressman (VA) retired, U.S. House of Representatives
Elizabeth Yore, Attorney and Founder, Yore Children

Save the Persecuted Christians and partners remain committed to advocating for Walker’s swift confirmation and call on Chairman Risch to put Walker on the agenda as soon as possible in January.

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Your support today, of all days, would mean a great deal. So please, make a 2X MATCH tax-deductible contribution to Save the Persecuted Christians today.

Make Your Gift One from the Heart

Persecuted Christians — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 17:17:41 GMT

Fellow Believer,

Today is Giving Tuesday, the biggest day of charitable giving of the year, and in support of our efforts to save persecuted Christians across the planet, we are continuing to offer a dollar-for-dollar match of any amount God puts on your heart.

From Armenia to Nigeria and many places in between, we have been making a direct impact by helping to sound the alarm, get the truth in front of the world and policymakers who matter, and truly save lives.

If you’d like a refresher on our efforts, we’ve included it below. None of this would be possible without the support of generous believers like you. Thanks for anything you can give.

– Save the Persecuted Christians

End-of-Year Matched Giving

MEDIA & ADVOCACY CAMPAIGNS

Through targeted media campaigns, public service announcements, coalition building, press events and more, STPC works with our 200+ coalition partners to awaken America and the world to the brutal persecution of Christians.

Most recently, we helped to lead the successful effort to encourage the Trump administration to re-designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” in response to the ongoing persecution of Christians there.

Since 2009, there have reportedly been 19,000 churches destroyed, over 100,000 killed and at least 5 million more displaced.

This official re-designation of “CPC” status now opens up a range of tools to stop the slaughter, including targeted sanctions and more.

Recently we have also been active in pushing the new leader of Syria to secure a humanitarian corridor on behalf of Christians, Druze and other minorities facing persecution and starvation. Our efforts have entailed coalition letters, high-profile media stories and a hard-hitting social media video PSA released in conjunction with the Syrian leader’s visit to the White House.

Our advocacy has also involved the production of longer-form, in-depth documentaries that pull back the curtain on hidden atrocities – like Remnants of the Sword: Armenians of Artsakh on the ethnic cleansing of ancient Christian communities and Repeal the Deal: End the Vatican’s Sellout to the CCP exposing Beijing’s war on underground churches – equipping viewers with undeniable truth to fuel prayer and action.

OPENING DOORS IN D.C. & ABROAD

We facilitate high-level meetings, briefings, and engagements with U.S. lawmakers, administration officials, and foreign leaders – giving those who’ve faced persecution an opportunity to share their stories directly with policymakers and who have the power to drive real change.

On this front recently, Nigeria remains a primary focus, and we were honored to coordinate meetings with lawmakers and Rebecca Sharibu whose daughter Leah was kidnapped in Nigeria by Boko Haram in 2018. Fearlessly refusing to renounce Christ and convert to Islam, she tragically remains a captive today, one of over 2,500 school children taken since the Chibok girls in 2014.

GATHERING THE FAITHFUL

Save the Persecuted Christians hosts in-person conferences, prayer breakfasts, webinars, and educational events to bring pastors, leaders, and everyday believers together – equipping them with truth about persecution and igniting unified action to defend the Body of Christ.

A prime example is our work helping organize, in 2025, the first-ever Republic of Armenia National Prayer Breakfast in Yerevan.

This historic gathering united Armenian political leaders, clergy, business executives and international guests in prayer and commitment to protect ancient Christian communities. Events like this don’t just inform; they forge alliances and mobilize the Church to stand as one against evil.

STAND FIRM IN ONE SPIRIT

Real power comes when we “stand firm in one spirit.”

That’s the heart of Save the Persecuted Christians – monthly partners uniting their gifts into a single, united force that sustains our advocacy and delivers real results on behalf of our 380 million persecuted brothers and sisters.

We ask you to prayerfully consider maximizing your impact by committing to a monthly contribution. To do so, please go here.

Thank you again for your time, generosity, and willingness to stand up for those being maimed, abused and deprived of their lives and livelihoods simply because they love Jesus.

God bless you,

Dede Laugesen
President
Save the Persecuted Christians

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Christian Convert from Islam Jailed in Egypt

Persecuted Christians — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 14:29:25 GMT

“If you want to be a Christian, you are free… but stay like all converts—silent, isolated, and hidden. No public statements. No contact. No proselytizing.”

Saeed Abu Mustafa is a Christian prisoner in Egypt.

He is charged with “joining a terrorist group” for being a Muslim-background believer, a convert to Christianity from Islam.

Moved to convert, Saeed sought a church to call home. He eventually settled on the Russian Orthodox Church in Alexandria.

When his conversion became known, Saeed experienced increasing hostility from his community and authorities. Feeling his life threatened, he found refuge as an asylum seeker in Russia.

Enjoying a newfound sense of liberty, Saeed courageously began to speak out about the harms he had endured from adherents of his former belief.

Not realizing his new country was “not-so-free,” he voiced criticism of Islam and was deported back home. Returning to Egypt he was threatened, tracked, surveilled and eventually arrested.

His crime?

Saeed Abu Mustafa freely decided to believe that Jesus is truly God’s flesh-and-blood Son who is, was and evermore shall be the one and only Savior of the World.

Saeed left the faith of his youth and made a personal decision for Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Then, he asked the government of Egypt to officially recognize his conversion by updating his national identity documents.

That was his crime. That’s when he was detained and arrested.

His friends, who are trying to alert the world, report he is being tortured in prison.

They cry out for Saeed who faces years in prison for, “joining a terrorist group.”

Saeed contacted a legal representative through a mutual friend. He wished to exercise his constitutional rights by filing a lawsuit to officially change his religious status and amend his identification documents.

On July 15, 2025, shortly after these discussions began, Saeed was arrested by national security forces in the Matariya district of Cairo.

We hoped for his swift release. Instead, on July 22, 2025, he appeared before the State Security Prosecution facing severe charges:

• Joining a terrorist group

• Disturbance of public security

• Spreading false information

This tragic development illustrates a deeply rooted contradiction: while Egypt’s constitution proclaims absolute freedom of belief, in practice, that freedom appears to extend only to those who convert to Islam—not from it.

All of this bullying simply for proclaiming Jesus Christ is Lord and insisting on his right to be acknowledged by his government as a legitimate Christian believer.

If you ask Saeed if Jesus is worth it, what do you think he’d say?

I don’t know Saeed yet. I hope to someday. I’m reaching out to his family and friends to offer encouragement and any help we can muster.

I hope to meet him when he is liberated and all those who rallied to his side during his suffering come together to celebrate his freedom.

I suspect Saeed would tell us he’d gladly suffer it all again and again for love of Jesus. Saeed understands that nothing—NOTHING—can separate a believing soul from the saving power of Jesus.

Join us today to cry out for Saeed Abu Mustafa and all those whose names are unknown to us who follow after Jesus, daily picking up their personal cross and carrying its weight to the heights of Golgotha with hearts full of the Holy Spirit’s sacrificial love for all who dwell upon the earth, that God’s glory may be made manifest to all the world and beyond.

Save the Persecuted Christians is mobilizing action in defense of Saeed and so many others like him persecuted by his own government in Egypt for daring to demand the freedom to be a convert from Islam to Christianity in a Muslim-dominate country that professes in its constitution to uphold religious freedom.

Please prayerfully consider supporting our coalition efforts to expose and bring down the strongholds that enable the abuse of men like Saeed on a one-time or monthly basis.

Your contribution will be matched dollar-for-dollar by a generous donor and champion of our mission to expose, inform, and rally people to stand in solidarity with Christian victims of violence at home in America and around the world in a record number of countries and to hold the perpetrators accountable for their crimes against humanity.

With love,

Dede

Dede Laugesen
President
Save the Persecuted Christians
On X @PersecutedSave