🔥🕊️ Nicaragua Targets Churches Over Easter

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SPECIAL REPORT

Nicaraguan Churches Face State Repression

During Easter 2025, the Nicaraguan government intensified its crackdown on religious freedom by targeting both Protestant and Roman Catholic congregations. Public religious processions were banned across the country, and police forces were deployed to monitor church activities, creating an atmosphere of fear and control.

Churches Turned Into Zones of Intimidation

Riot police were stationed outside numerous churches during Holy Week, particularly those known for vocal clergy. Religious leaders were reportedly threatened with retaliation if they mentioned political prisoners or criticized the regime in their sermons. Surveillance and intelligence efforts around church services were also ramped up, further stifling open worship.

These measures are not isolated. They reflect a broader campaign of religious repression under President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo. Over the past few years, more than 200 clergy have been forced into exile, thousands of religious events have been banned, and faith-based organizations have been systematically targeted or dismantled.

International Concern and Calls for Action

Religious rights advocates and international observers have condemned Nicaragua’s ongoing restrictions. They argue that the regime’s actions violate international human rights norms and urge the global community to hold Nicaragua accountable for its suppression of religious expression.

READ MORE →

REGIONAL THREATS

AFRICA

• BENUE, NIGERIA — The NKST Church reports over 100 members killed by suspected Fulani militia since Easter Friday, with more than 600 deaths in 2025 and 1.5 million displaced, prompting calls for federal intervention and security measures.

• GEM, KENYA — On April 30, 2025, a guard named Otieno at the St. Mary of Egypt Refuge Center in Gem, Siaya County, was severely injured during a robbery. Assailants stole various items and, when confronted by Otieno, attacked him with a machete, resulting in the loss of an ear and a serious back wound, possibly affecting his spinal cord. He is currently in critical condition at Siaya Referral Hospital.

• ABEOKUTA, NIGERIA — On April 22, 2025, Ogun State Police uncovered human body parts hidden within buildings masquerading as Cherubim and Seraphim Church parishes in Kobape town and along Abiola Way. Three suspects—Sunday Akintobi, Oladimeji Olaniran, and Isaiah Tijani—were arrested in connection with the discovery.

• CHIBOK, NIGERIA — On April 28, 2025, suspected Boko Haram militants attacked mourners in Kopl village, Chibok Local Government Area, killing at least 14 people and injuring others. The assailants also burned a church and over 10 homes, displacing the entire community without resistance from security forces. This incident is part of a series of escalating attacks in southern Borno State, with over 100 fatalities reported in the past month across multiple communities.

• MIGORI, KENYA — Pastor Meshack Orwa of the Ministry of Holiness and Repentance Church has been missing since Saturday, April 26, 2025, after being abducted by armed men. The incident occurred in Migori County, and local authorities have launched an investigation into the pastor’s disappearance. As of now, no ransom demands have been reported, and the motive behind the abduction remains unclear.

MIDDLE EAST & CENTRAL ASIA

• No current updates.

SOUTH & SOUTHEAST ASIA

• RAIPUR, INDIA — On March 9, 2025, a mob of 70 to 100 Hindu nationalists, including members of the Bajrang Dal, disrupted a worship service at the Church of God in Raipur by cutting the power and attacking congregants, while police present reportedly did not intervene. Following the incident, several Christians, including Rajesh Sharma, were arrested under India’s anti-conversion laws; Sharma’s requests for anticipatory bail have been denied by lower courts, and he is now appealing to the Supreme Court.

LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN

• MEXICO CITY, MEXICO — On April 24, 2025, two young men, aged 19 and 25, were shot by assailants on motorcycles outside the Santa María de la Natividad Parish in the Tetelpan neighborhood, Álvaro Obregón district. Both victims tried to take refuge inside the church but were seriously injured—one was hit five times, the other three. One of the attackers was arrested in possession of a firearm, while the other managed to escape. Authorities are investigating the incident, which may be linked to prior personal disputes between the victims and the assailants.

• RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL — On April 29, 2025, police arrested a suspect involved in the fatal shooting of a child returning from Easter Mass in the Complexo do Alemão area. The suspect, apprehended in the same neighborhood, is believed to have participated in the incident that resulted in the child’s death. Authorities continue to investigate the case to determine the motive and identify any additional individuals involved.

NORTH AMERICA

• DETROIT, MICHIGAN — Kwasi Agbottah (43) and Elizabeth Agbottah (41), a missionary couple known for their urban ministry, were killed on April 25 when a speeding driver, Dejah Latre Berry, lost control and struck them at a bus stop while they were buying groceries for their five children. Berry now faces multiple felony charges, including reckless driving causing death, while the Agbottahs are remembered for their deep community impact and faith-driven service in Detroit.

• SULLIVAN’S ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA — On May 1, 2025, a man identified as Justin Collin Adams allegedly drove his sedan into two children and an adult near Sunrise Presbyterian Church, injuring all three. Following the incident, Adams fled on foot, reportedly armed with a knife, prompting a shelter-in-place order and a multi-agency manhunt. He was apprehended around 5:57 p.m. while hiding on a boat docked behind a residence on Jasper Boulevard. The victims received medical attention, with one child and the adult hospitalized and later released, while the other child was treated at the scene.

EUROPE

• PORT TALBOT, WALES — On April 24, 2025, a fire severely damaged the historic Bethany English Calvinistic Methodist Chapel on Station Road. South Wales Police arrested two local teenagers—a 14-year-old from Sandfields and a 15-year-old from Bryn—on suspicion of arson.

AUSTRALIA & OCEANIA

• No current updates.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan following the April 22 terrorist attack that killed 26 tourists in Kashmir, fears of escalation are growing. Military buildups, suspended diplomacy, and threats of further violence have left civilians on both sides in a state of uncertainty.

Pray for peace between the two nations, wisdom for their leaders, protection for the innocent, and comfort for those mourning loved ones. Ask God to intervene and raise up peacemakers in this critical hour.

OUR SERVICES