In Depth:  Morning Star News / Barnabas Fund

Fulani militants were seen to be exploiting lockdown as they launched a series of murderous attacks throughout May.

Militants killed at least eight Christians and injured scores of others on 12 May in one of a series of murderous attacks on villages in Nigeria’s Middle Belt. Large numbers of gunmen stormed the villages of Bakin-Kogi, Idanu and Makyali, in the Kajura Local Government Area of Kaduna State, causing families to flee into the bush and to neighbouring communities.

A group of Christians, including a US woman and an Indian man, who were training local pastors were seized and detained by police on 23 April.

The group, based in Nepal, were accused of trying to ‘lure conversions’ and were detained overnight. Meanwhile, a box of Bibles, a laptop, a USB stick, cash, a nebu-liser machine, and a vehicle were reportedly taken from the group at a hotel in Dang district in midwestern Nepal. The American woman is reportedly being held under house arrest and may soon be deported. Meanwhile their driver has since been released, but remains under investigation.

Two pastors have been detained without charge since March 5 after holding a public gathering without permission.

M.B. Thapa and Tandin Wangyal were arrested the day after they had been invited by another Christian to speak at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new house in Khapdani village, Samtse District. The Minister of Home and Cultural Affairs said that the pair were trying to proselytise coercively, which is forbidden in Bhutan, and had not obtained permission for the gathering.