Christian communities throughout <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nigeria" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nigeria</a> have been completely destroyed by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/radical-islam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Islamic terrorists</a>, according to interviews with persecuted Christians conducted by religious liberty advocates.
The interviews were included in a <a href="https://media.opendoorsuk.org/document/pdf/No-Road-Home-Advocacy.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> released Sunday by Open Doors International, a religious freedom advocacy group, which found that thousands of Christians have been killed and displaced in Nigeria in increasing numbers since 2020. Open Doors interviewed hundreds of persecuted Christians, many of whom were sheltering in camps throughout the country.
“Extremist violence across parts of Nigeria over the last decade has resulted in mass displacement of Christian communities, amongst others,” the report said. “They have been singled out for violence, face harsh living conditions and experience faith-based challenges throughout their displacement journey. Nigerian state security personnel regularly failed to respond in a timely or effective manner to violent attacks against Christians.”
The violence has been primarily taking place in the northern states of Borno and Plateau, where there are lots of Islamic militants and violent Fulani herdsmen. About 2.7 times more Christians are killed in violent attacks than Muslims with at least 16,769 Christians being killed from October 2019 to September 2023. Christians are also the disproportionate victims of kidnappings.
For the report, Open Doors interviewed 292 Christians and humanitarian workers from January to April 2024 about their experiences with the persecution. Interviewees were primarily Christians who had been displaced within the country, with some workers from humanitarian agencies also interviewed.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1724211156439000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2-L2DitSaIUj5wz8v0bgxx">Tickets for “Am I Racist?” are on sale NOW! Buy here for a theater near you.</a>
One Christian displaced from Borno said that all the churches in the area of Gwoza were burned to the ground.
“Now, all the churches in Gwoza have been destroyed by Boko Haram, and many of the Christians have fled and are living as IDPs in different locations,” the interviewee said. “Since the attacks and the destruction of churches in Gwoza, I have not returned, and the churches are still in their deplorable state since their destruction.”
Another Christian said that the Christian population of another area in Borno had been completely replaced.
“I think for Goshe even during the time of displacement most of the community members were Christians,” the interviewee said. “But now the resettled members are almost ninety percent Muslims in the place I went to. It used to be a Christian community, but now it is a Muslim community.”
Other interviewees said that they struggled to defend themselves from attacks because they were armed with only a few small guns while their attackers had more sophisticated weaponry.
One of the main groups behind the attacks is Boko Haram, a radical Islamic group that has targeted Christians for years.
“Boko Haram target people that are working with the church, maybe you have a position like Secretary or you have any position in church, you are a target. In every community they have a list of people they are looking for,” an interviewee said.
If they survive the attacks on their villages, then the Christians also face struggles finding food and shelter. Many of the camps for displaced people discriminate against Christians and do not give aid to those with Christian names. Many people also refuse to rent out property to Christians.
Open Doors CEO Ryan Brown <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/faith-values/thousands-christians-deliberately-targeted-killed-nigeria-new-report-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox News on Tuesday that much of the world was ignoring the violence against Christians in Nigeria.
&#8220;The rest of the world seems to be turning a blind eye,&#8221; he said. &#8220;People are not talking about it. People are not aware of the realities, and therefore people aren&#8217;t doing anything about it.&#8221;

NIGERIA-RELIGION-UNREST

Whole Christian Communities Have Been Wiped Out In Nigeria, New Report Says

Christianity

Nigeria

Persecution

Radical Islamic Terror

Terrorism

World

The First Lady of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nigeria">Nigeria</a> made comments about her hopes for young ladies dressing modestly just after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/meghan-markle">Meghan Markle</a>, Duchess of Sussex, faced backlash for wearing revealing outfits during a visit to the country.
Senator Oluremi Tinubu, wife of President Bola Tinubu, did not specifically mention Markle as someone who dresses indecently, but rather indicated American celebrities generally while voicing her criticism.
“We have to salvage our children,” she said, per <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/05/27/entertainment/nigerias-first-lady-slams-u-s-celebs-after-meghan-markle-visit/">The New York Post</a>. “We see the way they dress. We are not having the Met Gala. And everyone, the nakedness, is just everywhere and the men are well-clothed.”
“Tell them we don’t accept nakedness in our culture,” she added. “That is not beautiful. It’s not beautiful at all.”
“They’re all beautiful girls, but they should be confident in who they are,” Tinubu said at another point. “We are fashionable, we see what is going on.”
“When mothers stand with you, the house is in order,” she added. “Looking ahead, we must endeavor to become the unifying force in our homes and our communities, to bring about greater prosperity for our nation.”
Tinubu did mention Markle publicizing that she is 43% Nigerian according to DNA test results.
“Why did Meghan come here looking for Africa? That is something we have to take home with [us]. We know who we are. Don’t lose who you are,” the First Lady said in her speech.
Markle, who stepped back from her duties as a senior working royal in January 2020, attracted negative attention earlier this month during her visit to Nigeria due to the revealing outfits she wore. Critics said it was disrespectful for her to dress that way in a country that identifies as mostly Muslim.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/prince-harry">Prince Harry</a> and the Duchess of Sussex visited Nigeria for the first time this month since they retired from the working royal life. The couple was there to promote the Invictus Games, an international sports competition that Harry started for veterans who are injured in action.
The royal couple was celebrating the tenth anniversary of the games and expressed their excitement over plans for a new Invictus Centre in Nigeria. “Seeing the plans for the new Invictus Center gives me goosebumps,” Prince Harry said, per The Post.

Meghan Markle

‘We Do Not Want Nakedness In Our Culture’: First Lady Of Nigeria Slams Scantily-Clad Celebs Following Meghan Markle Visit

'We Do Not Want Nakedness In Our Culture': First Lady Of Nigeria Slams Scantily-Clad Celebs Following Meghan Markle Visit

Entertainment

Prince Harry

Royal Family

It was only a very short time after Jesus’s birth over 2,000 years ago that persecution began.
As related in the second chapter of Matthew, King Herod sought to find the whereabouts of the newborn Jesus in order to kill him, fearing that he might challenge his rule one day. After Jesus and his family escaped into Egypt, Herod gave vent to his rage by slaughtering the children of Bethlehem.
Yet Herod’s rage was in vain. He himself died soon after, and Jesus soon returned and began his ministry.
This same pattern plays out across the world now more than ever. Governments and enemies of Christianity persecute Christians who recognize that their first allegiance is to God. But because of the faith of these Christians, they give witness to the enduring strength of Christ, and triumph.
Christmas is a time to remember the persecuted, as Jesus and the Holy Innocents were persecuted that first Christmas. But it is also a time to give thanks to God when their witness has triumphed over their persecutors.
Northern Nigeria is a place where the Church faces some of the worst persecution on earth. According to Open Doors, roughly <a href="https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/persecution-trends/">90%</a> of all martyrs in 2022 — over 5,000 Christians murdered for their faith — were from Nigeria.
One of those martyrs was Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu, a Christian student at a university in Sokoto State, who in May 2022 was <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2022/05/a-christian-stoned-to-death-for-blasphemy-in-nigeria-when-will-it-end/">stoned to death</a> and burnt by her Muslim classmates because of her faith in Jesus. Another Christian woman, <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253128/nigerian-mother-charged-with-blasphemy-for-defending-murdered-christian">Rhoda Jatau</a>, faced a mob and was arrested for blasphemy after the mob accused her of sharing a video that insulted Islam because it condemned the lynching of Deborah.
Rhoda sat in a jail in Bauchi State, Nigeria, for over 18 months because of the accusations. She only saw her family and lawyers at court hearings.
But through her witness to the injustice of the treatment of Christians in Northern Nigeria, both by extremist Islamist mobs and baseless prosecutions, her case caused national outrage.
Earlier this month, after enormous national outcry, Rhoda was finally <a href="https://adfinternational.org/news/rhoda-jatau-bail">released</a> on bail, able to spend Christmas this year with her family in safety. While the charges against her are still pending, many within Nigeria and internationally are pushing for them to be dropped fully.
Other legal victories this year within Nigeria may make it easier for Christians in the northern part of the country to practice their faith. As with many places where Christians are a religious minority, converts to Christianity, particularly from Islam, often find it extremely dangerous to practice their faith. <a href="https://adfinternational.org/news/evangelist-acquitted-nigeria">Daniel Kefee</a>* was an evangelist in Northern Nigeria who brought a young Muslim woman, Hafsatu*, to Christ. But when her family found out, members of her family threatened to kill her. She sought out help from Daniel, who found a Christian residential school that could care for her.
For helping Hafsatu, Daniel was charged by Nigerian authorities with kidnapping. Yet Daniel and his lawyers bravely presented to the court the reality of what had happened. In an astonishing result given the region, the judge not only acquitted Daniel, but prodded the prosecutors, asking them, “should the defendant have left the girl, what would have happened with her?”
Also this year, in another state in Northern Nigeria, a young woman named <a href="https://adfinternational.org/news/mary-nigeria">Mary Olowe</a>* similarly converted to Christianity and faced death threats from her family. She was able to flee and filed for a restraining order against those who threatened her. Once again, the court issued a remarkable decision, granting the order and explicitly recognizing as a fundamental right Mary’s ability to change her religion from Islam to Christianity without facing any threat of violence.
Even when a remedy through the courts is not possible, we often can see God working through the persecuted to further His kingdom. In Sudan, <a href="https://adfinternational.org/news/nada-hamouda-us">Nada and Hamouda</a> were a married Christian couple who were baselessly charged with adultery by prosecutors after their conversions to Christianity from Islam. When Hamouda, the husband, converted after encountering the local church, Nada’s brother threatened the couple, and a Sharia court dissolved their marriage. But soon after, Nada returned to her husband and became a Christian as well. That is when Nada’s brother sought the police to bring charges against them.
Nada and Hamouda could not remain in Sudan. Either they would be convicted and face lashes and potential exile, or they might be freed but hunted down by Islamists. With the help of international partners, they were able to flee to the United States. Now, they have become leaders within their local church community in the U.S., sharing their stories of persecution, witnessing to the grace of the Gospel, and spending their first Christmas <a href="https://youtu.be/L3T5q4JlOBQ?si=kq8OnohJa9nuZjvZ">free and in safety</a>.
We remember the vulnerable and the persecuted at Christmas because of the vulnerability and persecution that our own Savior faced even in those first nights in Bethlehem. But let us also see how God is revealing the hope found in the Gospel and the promise of Christmas even now in these stories from just this year around the world.
* * *
Sean Nelson is an international human rights lawyer serving as Legal Counsel for Global Religious Freedom at ADF International. ADF International has supported the cases of Rhoda Jatau, Daniel Kefee*, Mary Olowe*, and Nada and Hamouda.
*These names have been changed to protect these individuals’ identities.
 The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Catholic Protest In Lagos

90% Of All Christian Martyrs In 2022 Were From This African Country

Africa

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF)

Christians

Court

Murder

Readers Pass

A 14-year-old boy who was kidnapped from a Christian school in Africa by a group of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/radical-islam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">radical Islamic</a> Fulani herdsmen returned home last week, more than two years after his captivity began.
Treasure Ayuba, one of 121 students who were kidnapped from the Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna, Nigeria, finally escaped, according to a local pastor.
“Glory be to God! Glory be to God!! Glory be to God!!!” Pastor Israel Akanji, the President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, wrote on social media. “Treasure Ayuba, the last boy who was still with the bandits who kidnapped the 121 students of Bethel Baptist High School, Kaduna, on July 5, 2021, has just returned home!”
Ayuba had been captured by Islamic Fulani herdsmen just days after his 12th birthday and forced to march hours away where he was held hostage, <a href="https://www.opendoorsuk.org/news/latest-news/treasure-nigeria/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Open Doors, an organization that monitors Christian persecution around the world.
“Christians from the Nigerian Baptist Convention, which runs Bethel High School, were forced to negotiate with the terrorists over ransom demands,” local pastor Winyadebi Rolis said. “When the convention first started negotiating with the extremists over ransom payments, they thought that all the children would be released. However, to the anguish of the parents, the children were only released in batches with extremists then demanding more money to release the next batch of students.”
Some of the payments demanded by the kidnappers exceeded $300,000. Ayuba’s captors reportedly planned to hold him until he converted to Islam. Ayuba did not and was able to slip away, making it back home where he showed up at his mom’s house, according to Open Doors.
“Treasure somehow managed to sneak away and escape from the extremists,” Winyadebi said. “He walked at night and hid during the day. Eventually he found hunters who took him to his hometown and from there he was able to find his way home.&#8221;
He was the last student to make it home and is expected to receive trauma counseling.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1700760801843000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
Nigeria is one the worst countries in the world for Christian persecution, with thousands being killed every year. Christians in the African nation have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/46-nigerian-christians-killed-in-terrorists-attacks-as-government-accused-of-negligence-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused</a> the government of negligence and asked them to take stronger steps to counter the violence.

NIGERIA-UNREST-KIDNAPPING-CRIME

14-Year-Old Returns Home 2 Years After Being Captured From Christian School In Nigeria

14-Year-Old Returns Home Two Years After Being Captured From Christian School In Nigeria

Radical Islam

Forty-six <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/persecution" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christians were killed</a> over two days after terrorists in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nigeria" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nigeria</a> targeted Christian villages, according to a new report. 
The killings happened on June 3 and 4 in the southern Nigerian villages of Michihe, Achamegh and Mbagene Kpav, and Imande Mbakange, Morning Star News <a href="https://www.christianpost.com/news/46-christians-killed-amid-2-days-of-attacks-in-nigeria.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. In the wake of the killings, local leaders have accused Nigeria&#8217;s government of turning a blind eye to the violence. 
“Altogether, 46 Christians were killed by the terrorists in the two days of attacks on our communities,” a statement from the Shitile Development Association (SDA) said. “Most disturbing also is the fact that the identity of the perpetrators is known to security agencies and the Nigerian government, and yet nothing has been done to end this carnage.”
Militant Islamic Fulani herdsmen, a nomadic group that is known to frequently attack Christians in the African country, have been accused of orchestrating the attacks. The recent attack comes as some religious freedom advocates have said that the persecution of Christians in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/africa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">African</a> nation should be seen as genocide.
“As our people are fleeing, herders are occupying these areas and grazing freely on our farms,” the statement from the SDA said. “Though due to the fear of general insecurity, it is difficult to move from village to village to gather exact statistics, hordes of lives have been horrendously eliminated in several villages across the land, such that the whole land is thrown into wailing and mourning.”
Local council official Alfred Atera condemned the attacks, calling on the security agencies to end the violence. 
“These senseless killings by the terrorists are inhuman and barbaric. I call on all security agencies to double their efforts in combating these renewed attacks as a matter of urgency,” Atera said. 
Police in Benue, the state where the attacks took place, said that they had sent police and security personnel to the area to stop the violence. 
The attack in Benue follows weeks of recent attacks in the Plateau state, where 28 Christian churches were destroyed and a reported 300 Christians killed. The destruction <a href="https://www.christianpost.com/news/hundreds-of-christians-killed-in-3-weeks-of-attacks-in-nigeria.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> led to the displacement of about 30,000 Christians in the state.
A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-report-estimates-that-over-8000-nigerian-christians-killed-kidnapped-last-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent report put ou</a>t by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) estimated that over 5,000 Nigerian Christians were killed in 2022 while over 3,000 were kidnapped.
The perpetrators are believed to be members of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/radical-islam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">radical Islamic</a> terror groups, including Fulani herdsmen groups, Boko Haram, and ISAWP (Islamic State West Africa Province).

NIGERIA-FULANI-CONFLICT

46 Nigerian Christians Killed In Terrorist Attacks As Government Accused Of Negligence: Report

Crime

A United States convoy was reportedly attacked in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nigeria" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nigeria</a> this week, resulting in three people being kidnapped and four others being killed.
CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/16/africa/nigeria-us-convoy-attack-intl-afr/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the attack took place in the southeastern Anambra state and that local officials confirmed to the network that the assailants “murdered two police operatives and two staff of the US consulate and set their bodies and their vehicles ablaze.”
The incident reportedly happened approximately 40 miles away from the state capital in the town of Atani, according to a <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/gunmen-attack-us-convoy-southeast-nigeria-2-policemen-99375265" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Associated Press. Officials have pinned the blame on separatists who want to start their own country and whose leader is currently on trial for terrorism.
John Kirby, spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council, said that none of those who were killed were Americans.
“No U.S. citizens were involved and therefore there were no U.S. citizens hurt,” he said. “We are aware of some casualties, perhaps even some killed.”
Local police officials told CNN that no Americans were even in the convoy.
“The security of our personnel is always paramount, and we take extensive precautions when organizing trips to the field,” the U.S. State Department said in a statement.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack by any groups. Islamic terrorism is prevalent throughout Nigeria and the entire continent of Africa.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-45886">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
Attackers carried out a separate attack in Nigeria&#8217;s central Plateau state on Tuesday, killing at least <a href="https://www.barrons.com/news/at-least-30-people-killed-in-clashes-in-central-nigeria-govt-6170a31c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">30 people</a>, most of whom were <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/armed-attackers-nigeria-kill-20-mostly-women-children-2023-05-16/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">described</a> as women and children.

TOPSHOT-NIGERIA-UNREST-DEMONSTRATION-KIDNAPPING

U.S. Convoy Attacked In Nigeria, 4 Killed: Report

United States

A new report has estimated that over 5,000 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nigeria" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nigerian</a> Christians were killed in 2022 while over 3,000 were kidnapped.
The <a href="https://intersociety-ng.org/5068-citizens-massacred-for-being-christians-in-nigeria-in-2022-1041-slaughtered-in-first-100-days-of-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a>, put out by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), comes as some religious freedom advocates have said that the persecution of Christians in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/africa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">African</a> nation should be seen as genocide.
&#8220;[Intersociety] is emotionally dedicating this special investigative Report to 1,041 slain and disappeared victims of the Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen and other Jihadists&#8217; genocidal attacks carried out across Nigeria in the first 100 days of 2023,&#8221; the report says. &#8220;The under-listed slain and wounded victims also represent 5,068 others slain or caused to disappear without traces till date by Nigerian Jihadists in 2022.&#8221;
The estimates were based on reports from a variety of sources, including media outlets, government reports, nongovernmental organizations statistics, and estimates from diplomats. The report also said that over 1,000 Christians have been killed in 2023.
Intersociety said that the violence was most prevalent in the states of Benue, Kaduna, Plateau, Taraba, Niger, Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, and Kebbi, <a href="https://www.christianpost.com/news/over-5000-christians-killed-in-nigeria-in-2022-ngo.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> The Christian Post. Violence has long plagued the African country, with the northern part being more Islamic and the southern region more Christian.
The perpetrators are believed to be members of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/radical-islam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">radical Islamic</a> terror groups, including Fulani herdsmen groups, Boko Haram, and ISAWP (Islamic State West Africa Province). According to the report, the Nigerian military is also responsible for some of the killings. Many Nigerian Christians have long asked for the government to do more to stop the killings and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nigerian-pastor-says-government-fully-supports-killings-of-christians-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have accused them</a> of encouraging the violence.
The report, which was compiled by criminologist Emeka Umeagbalasi, is also critical of Christian leaders in the country. “The dry material quest and lackadaisical attitudes of the Nigerian Christian leaders are also forcing Christian converts to leave the Church in droves to embrace other non-Christian denominations,” the report says. “It must be warned that if extreme care is not taken to rescue the Christendom and the Church, the churches or church buildings in Nigeria will become the present day Turkish church monuments in fifty years time or less than that.”
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-22625">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
The news comes just months after the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden administration</a> kept Nigeria off of a religious liberty watchlist for the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/victory-for-the-terrorists-blinken-faces-backlash-after-taking-nigeria-off-of-religious-violence-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener">second year</a> in a row. In December, the State Department drew the ire of religious liberty advocates for leaving Nigeria off its <a href="https://www.state.gov/religious-freedom-designations-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">list</a> of “Countries of Particular Concern list,” a government watch list for countries that endorse or allow religious violence.

NIGERIA-UNREST-FUNERAL

New Report Estimates That Over 8,000 Nigerian Christians Killed, Kidnapped Last Year

Religion

Religious Liberty

The two Nigerian brothers who say they were paid by actor Jussie Smollett to stage an attack on him in January 2019, engendering an outcry from the political Left including Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, are speaking out about the incident and its aftermath for the first time.
Smollett, the former “Empire” star who paid $3,500 to Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, has never admitted that the attack, which he claimed was perpetrated by white supremacists, was a hoax. The brothers said that the attack was a hoax after they were in jail for nearly two days. Smollett was convicted of five felony counts of disorderly conduct in December 2021. In March 2022, he was sentenced to 150 days in county jail but only ended up spending six days behind bars after an appeal.
“The police did ask us what Jussie&#8217;s motive was, but Jussie did not really tell me a motive,” Abimbola told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/brothers-in-jussie-smollett-hoax-break-silence-say-actor-wanted-to-be-poster-child-for-activism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox Nation</a>. “[But] from what he was speaking about, or talking about, I would say what he wanted to accomplish was to increase his star level.&#8221;
The comments were made in an interview for a new Fox Nation documentary called &#8220;Jussie Smollett: Anatomy of a Hoax.&#8221;
“He wanted to be the poster child for activism,” Olabinjo said, as Abimbola added, “That’s what I wanted to say. He wanted to be the hero for gay people, for black people,” The Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11856587/Brothers-paid-Jussie-Smollett-attack-Chicago-street-break-silence.html?ns_mchannel=rss&amp;ns_campaign=1490&amp;ito=social-twitter_mailonline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported.</a>
“I thought he was a good actor, but I also thought this guy was a fraud,” Abimbola said, referencing Smollett’s attitude in interviews after the incident. “This guy is really just sitting here, lying to these people. Lying through his teeth, and not caring. &#8230; I did feel betrayed by Jussie and what he had done. I didn&#8217;t know what to do — I wasn&#8217;t ready to say anything. Like, I was mute. And I didn&#8217;t want to say anything.”
“Insane. That&#8217;s when I really saw a different side of Jussie,” he said. “Like, dude, really? This is when I knew that this dude was like a supervillain.”
When the interviewer asked the brothers if they were “believable white supremacists,” Abimbola laughed. “One hundred percent! Look at me!” he said.
Abimbola claimed that Smollett would ask him to “help him procure or get weed, and different types of paraphernalia. &#8230; He would ask me to do it because he’s not from Chicago, and he wanted to keep a lower profile. &#8230; He did not want to get the drug dealer’s number – he wanted me to be the middleman and to get the drugs for him.”
At the time, the Smollett hoax was quickly picked up as a talking point by major Democrats, including Biden.
Biden <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1090422326783606784" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a>, &#8220;What happened today to<a href="https://twitter.com/JussieSmollett"> @JussieSmollett</a> must never be tolerated in this country. We must stand up and demand that we no longer give this hate safe harbor; that homophobia and racism have no place on our streets or in our hearts. We are with you, Jussie.” Harris <a href="https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris/status/1090361495119187969?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called the incident</a> a “modern-day lynching.”

Collage Maker-14-Mar-2023-08-19-AM-3219

‘Like A Supervillain’: Nigerian Brothers Hired By Jussie Smollett Speak Out For First Time

Nigerian Brothers Hired By Jussie Smollett Speak Out For First Time

Chicago

Hate Crime

Joe Biden

Jussie Smollett

U.S.

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/georgia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Georgia</a> secretary of state’s office is investigating failed gubernatorial candidate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/stacey-abrams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stacey Abrams</a>’ New Georgia Project for “financial irregularities.”
The probe into Abrams’ voting-rights charity comes after reports by The Washington Free Beacon outlined financial mismanagement by several of the charity’s former top executives, according to the <a href="https://freebeacon.com/democrats/georgia-secretary-of-state-investigating-financial-irregularities-at-stacey-abrams-charity-following-free-beacon-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Free Beacon</a>. Subpoenas in the state investigation are expected to be sent soon.
In December, the New Georgia Project was <a href="https://freebeacon.com/democrats/stacey-abramss-nonprofit-flouts-state-charity-laws-across-country/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found</a> to be soliciting donations in at least nine states without a license. Some state laws require charities to file financial disclosures with the IRS before raising money within a state’s borders.
Last month, the New Georgia Project was <a href="https://freebeacon.com/democrats/stacey-abrams-charity-has-a-500000-problem-in-its-latest-tax-filing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found</a> to be missing roughly $600,000 in unaccounted for spending. The group’s 2021 financial records showed payments of $533,846 for consulting and $67,500 in grant money to the Black Male Initiative. The Black Male Initiative never reported receiving the payments, however.
The 2021 filings were handed to the IRS two months after they were due and three months after the ouster of former New Georgia Project CEO Nse Ufot. Ufot is a Nigeria-born community organizer who was living in Canada in 2014 when Abrams recruited her to run the New Georgia Project. Ufot left the group in October.
New Georgia Project’s 2020 financial filings showed $0 paid in payroll taxes despite employing 173 workers, an anomaly and red flag, according to nonprofit experts interviewed by the Free Beacon. The financial forms included other oddities, as well.
Abrams is a prominent voting rights activist and twice-failed candidate for governor of Georgia. In 2022, Abrams lost her latest bid to become Georgia’s top executive by over 7 points to Republican Governor Brian Kemp.
Since her election defeat, Abrams has returned to activism. This week, she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stacey-abrams-pops-up-in-nigeria-as-an-election-observer-losing-side-promptly-alleges-rigged-results" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appeared</a> in Nigeria to monitor its elections, traveling with a group from the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute.
<a class="c-link" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-4883">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
“I would say that despite a slow start with the [violence]” said Abrams, updating a reporter on the state of the election. “we have seen orderly lines, we have seen long lines, signaling strong enthusiasm. But we’ve also seen a great deal of cooperation and a very peaceful conversation among voters. They want to be heard, and they are willing to stand in line and have patience, because they know that’s their path to progress.”

Stacey Abrams

Stacey Abrams’ Voting Rights Charity Facing State Investigation Over Shady Finances

Elections

Georgia

Twice-failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inflation-hurting-your-family-thats-why-we-need-abortion-stacey-abrams-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stacey Abrams</a> popped up in Nigeria this week, serving as part of a 40-member crew observing polls in the African nation&#8217;s elections, and now parties that appear to have lost the election are claiming that it was rigged.
Abrams, who is traveling with the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute, told the media on Saturday that there was much excitement on the ground amongst voters. 
&#8220;I would say that despite a slow start with the [violence]&#8221; Abrams said over the weekend, &#8220;we have seen orderly lines, we have seen long lines, signaling strong enthusiasm. But we&#8217;ve also seen a great deal of cooperation and a very peaceful conversation among voters. They want to be heard, and they are willing to stand in line and have patience, because they know that&#8217;s their path to progress.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Stacey Abrams just won Nigeria’s election! <a href="https://t.co/g6khnm6mpv">pic.twitter.com/g6khnm6mpv</a>
&mdash; Dr. Jebra Faushay (@JebraFaushay) <a href="https://twitter.com/JebraFaushay/status/1630626813587144722?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Despite Abrams&#8217; glowing remarks, it should be noted that Nigeria has a very strict voter ID law that uses voter ID machines to protect the vote. Abrams has long <a href="https://www.247media.com.ng/how-to-check-and-get-voters-card-id-number-in-nigeria/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> that voter ID laws in U.S. are tantamount to oppression and racism.
Well, as of Tuesday, both opposition parties in Nigeria&#8217;s presidential elections were calling for a do-over claiming that the results were corrupted in part because voter ID technology was stolen from certain polling places, <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/2/26/election-count-under-way-despite-some-extended-voting-in-nigeria" target="_blank" rel="noopener">causing delays and glitches</a>.
The People&#8217;s Democratic Party, Labour Party, and African Democratic Congress released a joint statement claiming that they had lost confidence in the electoral body chairman, Mahmood Yakubu.
&#8220;We call on the international community to note that the results being declared at the National Collation centre have been heavily doctored and manipulated and do not reflect the wishes of Nigerians expressed at the polls on February 25, 2023,&#8221; the statement <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/28/africa/nigeria-election-tinubu-leads-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
<a class="c-link" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-4883">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
Abrams&#8217; posse appeared to concur with that evaluation.
&#8220;The election fell well short of Nigerian citizens&#8217; reasonable expectations,&#8221; a spokesperson for the International Republican Institute (IRI) and National Democratic Institute (NDI) <a href="https://www.kake.com/story/48469537/opposition-parties-in-nigeria-call-for-fresh-elections-as-ruling-party-takes-the-lead" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the press.
Abrams, for her part, also has experience decrying election results. The Georgia Democrat refused to concede on election night in 2018, only to spend the next four years bemoaning that Gov. Brian Kemp (R) had effectively stolen the election from her. Then, after he signed election reform laws that included items such as voter ID, she alleged he was suppressing the black vote even further.
After primary and general election turnout saw record early numbers with little wait times and near zero reports of voting difficulty, she alleged that the overall smooth process was not necessarily evidence that suppression did not exist. Other Democrats <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrats-georgias-record-voter-turnout-is-actually-voter-suppression" target="_blank" rel="noopener">concurred</a> with that assessment.
In the waning days of her campaign, she spent her time appearing at concerts pushing abortion and claimed that Republicans wanted to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stacey-abrams-tells-oprah-elect-me-or-transgender-kids-will-be-banned-from-playing-with-friends-parents-will-be-forced-to-lie-and-gay-people-wont-be-protected" target="_blank" rel="noopener">outlaw certain friends from playing with each other</a> and would force parents to lie.
Similar to Nigeria&#8217;s apparent lack of transparency in their elections, <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/12/19/stacey-abrams-campaign-reportedly-1-million-in-debt-after-midterm-loss/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Abrams&#8217;s former campaign staffers</a> were left wondering where all of Abrams&#8217; money went. Despite raising more than $100 million, her team ended up more than $1 million in debt while her staffers went without paychecks as of December.
Through it all, Abrams has not ruled out running for higher office. Perhaps she can finagle her way into power in Nigeria if another election takes place.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Abrams’ Rally in Dallas

Stacey Abrams Pops Up In Nigeria As An Election Observer, Losing Side Promptly Alleges Rigged Results

Election

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden administration</a> has kept <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nigeria" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nigeria</a> off of a religious liberty watchlist for the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/victory-for-the-terrorists-blinken-faces-backlash-after-taking-nigeria-off-of-religious-violence-list" target="_blank" rel="noopener">second year</a> in a row even as thousands of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/christianity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christians</a> have been reportedly killed in the African nation. 
On Friday, the State Department drew the ire of religious liberty advocates for leaving Nigeria off its <a href="https://www.state.gov/religious-freedom-designations-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">list</a> of “Countries of Particular Concern list,” a government watch list for countries that endorse or allow religious violence. 
“Secretary Blinken&#8217;s continued refusal to place Nigeria on the list of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) when the Biden administration should be confronting President Buhari is appalling,” said Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), <a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/dec/2/religious-liberty-panel-others-blast-blinken-omitt/?utm_campaign=shareaholic&amp;utm_medium=twitter&amp;utm_source=socialnetwork" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Washington Times. 
Smith, the ranking member of the Africa subcommittee for the House Foreign Affairs Committee, added that there would be oversight over the decision with the new Congress in January. 
“The deterioration of human rights in Nigeria — the topic of congressional hearings I have chaired — and the Biden administration’s totally unjustified retreat from the fight to protect victims of religious persecution means there will be an oversight item in the new Congress,” he said. 
A spokesperson for the State Department told the Times that Secretary of State <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/antony-blinken" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Antony Blinken</a> “determined that the status of religious freedom in Nigeria did not meet the legal threshold” to be included on the list.” The spokesperson added that Nigeria was still a “concern” and that the State Department would “press” the country’s government to address religious liberty concerns. 
United States Commissioner on International Religious Freedom Chair Nury Turkel disagreed with Blinken’s decision, saying that conditions in Nigeria “clearly” merited its inclusion on the list. 
The decision to keep Nigeria off the list came following <a href="https://www.christianpost.com/news/nigeria-4000-christians-killed-over-2300-abducted-this-year.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> that thousands of Christians have been killed or abducted this year in the West African nation. According to a report put out last month by the International Society for Civil Liberty and Rule of Law, over 4,000 Christians have been killed and 2,000 kidnapped by Islamic jihadist groups. 
The group accused Nigeria’s government of being being “friendly” to some of the terrorist groups, while others have demanded the government take more action to crack down on Christian persecution. 
Before the State Department&#8217;s decision, the Alliance Defending Freedom and Established By Revelation Media put out a <a href="https://stopkillingchristians.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">petition</a> urging the Biden administration to put Nigeria back on the CPC list.
“We cannot remain silent while our brothers and sisters are being persecuted and martyred for their faith. The killings must stop. The torture must stop. The least we can do as Americans is take a stand by acknowledging the very real evil taking place in Nigeria at this time,” the petition said. 
Nigeria is ranked as the seventh most difficult country in the world to be a Christian, <a href="https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/nigeria/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Open Doors, a group that monitors Christian persecution around the world.

USA v Wales: Group B – FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

‘Appalling’: Biden Admin Blasted For Leaving Nigeria Off Religious Violence List After Reportedly Thousands Of Killings

'Appalling': Biden Admin Blasted For Leaving Nigeria Off Religious Violence List After Reportedly Thousands Of Killings

Antony Blinken

Biden Admin

Hours before the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-queen-elizabeth-ii-dead-at-96" target="_blank" rel="noopener">death of Queen Elizabeth</a> was announced, a Carnegie Mellon professor blasted the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/united-kingdom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United Kingdom</a> as a &#8220;genocidal empire&#8221; and wished the 96-year-old monarch “excruciating” pain.
Professor Uju Anya, who teaches linguistics and critical race studies at Carnegie Mellon University,” according to the website, sent out her maleficent remark via Twitter. At the time, the beloved queen&#8217;s death had not yet been announced.
“I heard the chief monarch of a thieving raping genocidal empire is finally dying. May her pain be excruciating,” she tweeted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Pretty sure she deleted this disgusting tweet. But the internet is forever. <a href="https://t.co/YsuZUWqjDG">pic.twitter.com/YsuZUWqjDG</a>
&mdash; Nina Infinity (@Nina7Infinity) <a href="https://twitter.com/Nina7Infinity/status/1567932169607053312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
After the news broke of the queen’s death, Anya, who hails from Nigeria, doubled down with another nasty social media missive.
“If anyone expects me to express anything but disdain for the monarch who supervised a government that sponsored the genocide that massacred and displaced half my family and the consequences of which those alive today are still trying to overcome, you can keep wishing upon a star,” she wrote.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
If anyone expects me to express anything but disdain for the monarch who supervised a government that sponsored the genocide that massacred and displaced half my family and the consequences of which those alive today are still trying to overcome, you can keep wishing upon a star.
&mdash; Uju Anya (@UjuAnya) <a href="https://twitter.com/UjuAnya/status/1567933661114429441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Anya was apparently referring to the massacre of between 8,000 to 30,000 Igbo people in 1966 in Nigeria, when a reported one million Igbos fled to the eastern part of Nigeria, where Igbos dominated. On May 30, 1967, the head of the Eastern Region, Odumegwu Ojukwu, declared the state of Biafra.
Great Britain supported the Nigerian forces at war with Biafra, which shrank to one-tenth of its size during the war. An estimated 1 million Biafra children starved to death in a human rights crisis that horrified the world.
When an apparent Nigerian on social media slammed her, writing, “Why don&#8217;t you come back to Nigeria and live under ‘your people’s’ leadership?”, Anya tartly replied, “Come here and carry me,” prompting the Nigerian to answer, “We already have enough hypocrites here.”
Anya answered, “I didn’t ask about your mama.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I didn’t ask about your mama.
&mdash; Uju Anya (@UjuAnya) <a href="https://twitter.com/UjuAnya/status/1567879994008915969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
That prompted one social media user to slam Anya, saying of the queen, “She&#8217;ll always be a better person than you could ever hope to be.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
She&#39;ll always be a better person than you could ever hope to be. <a href="https://twitter.com/UjuAnya?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UjuAnya</a>
&mdash; ISMV Star Fortress (@StarFortress) <a href="https://twitter.com/StarFortress/status/1567934630321594368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Anya served as assistant professor of clinical education at the University of Southern California from 2012-2016, then as assistant professor of second language learning at Penn State University before working at Carnegie Mellon.
“I come from a multilingual, multicultural, multinational background,&#8221; she <a href="https://www.cmu.edu/dietrich/news/news-stories/2022/january/fs-anya.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> in an interview on the CMU website. &#8220;I was born in Nigeria to a Nigerian dad and mom from Trinidad and Tobago. I came to the U.S. when I was 10 years old.”
The day before her incendiary tweet targeting Queen Elizabeth, Anya offered more insight into her personal life.
“Someone DM’d me the most hilarious thread of Nigerian homophobes discussing their obsession with my life as a lesbian once married to a man,&#8221; she tweeted. &#8220;I save so much money living rent free in people’s heads.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Someone DM’d me the most hilarious thread of Nigerian homophobes discussing their obsession with my life as a lesbian once married to a man. I save so much money living rent free in people’s heads 😂😂😂 <a href="https://t.co/TEE3JHZSOJ">pic.twitter.com/TEE3JHZSOJ</a>
&mdash; Uju Anya (@UjuAnya) <a href="https://twitter.com/UjuAnya/status/1567503625534013443?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“Haters are my most loyal fans, I swear. Spending obscene amounts of their precious life watching and envying mine,” she added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Haters are my most loyal fans, I swear. Spending obscene amounts of their precious life watching and envying mine 😂😂
&mdash; Uju Anya (@UjuAnya) <a href="https://twitter.com/UjuAnya/status/1567562861056065537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Nigeria in 1960 gained its independence from Great Britain, which had controlled it since 1861 and made it a colony in 1914. In 1963, the African nation became a republic.
Bloodshed has continued in the troubled nation in recent years. In May, 20 Nigerian Christians were murdered by the Islamic group ISIS; in June, 40 Christians were murdered by terrorists in a church in Owo; as far back as 2014, 59 Christian school boys were burned alive or shot and 276 Christian school girls were kidnapped.
According to <a href="https://breakpoint.org/christian-genocide-in-nigeria/">Breakpoint</a>, “13 Christians per day were killed in Nigeria last year. &#8230; In the last 12 years, 43,000 Christians have been killed by Islamic radicals in Nigeria.”

The Queen Visits West Sussex

‘May Her Pain Be Excruciating’: Professor Wishes Dying Queen Elizabeth More Suffering

Death

Professors

Queen Elizabeth

Menu