Suspected armed bandits attacked Agwara community in Agwara LGA, Niger State in the early hours of Sunday, 1 February 2026. The Niger State Police Command said the attackers overpowered a tactical team and used suspected dynamite/explosives to set the Agwara Divisional Police Headquarters ablaze. Police also reported the assailants moved to the United Missionary Church of Africa (UMCA) and burned part of the building. Authorities said about five people were abducted, with identities not yet confirmed.

Reporting indicates the assault began around 3:40 a.m. and triggered panic and displacement, with residents fleeing into nearby bushes. Accounts differ on casualties: one report said one person was killed, while the police spokesperson was quoted elsewhere saying no life was lost. The incident prompted Niger State CAN leadership—through Catholic Bishop Bulus Yohanna, CAN chairman in Niger State—to call for a permanent military formation in Agwara amid concerns about recurring attacks.

What this means: The burning of a divisional police headquarters alongside damage to a UMCA church signals a high-impact raid that simultaneously degrades local security response and heightens fear among Christian communities.

Who’s at risk: Churches and Christian leaders in and around Agwara LGA face elevated risk given the church arson and abductions reported during the same operation.

Outlook: Watch for follow-on incidents and security posture changes after calls by CAN’s Niger State chairman for a permanent military formation in Agwara and reports that the attackers operated for hours before withdrawing.

ITANG, ETHIOPIA – During Anyuak-Nuer ethnic clashes in Itang, armed groups broke into and looted the Itang Catholic Mission parish compound using tools including pickaxes and metal bars. A priest reported theft from the church, presbytery, parish office, and kindergarten supplies, with bullet damage observed on structures after the attack.

NEMBE, NIGERIA – Bayelsa State Police Command SWAT operatives arrested pastor Elijah Oro and 21-year-old Samuel Daniel in Nembe (Ogbolomabiri community) over an alleged plot to assassinate a rival prophet. Police said the suspects are under investigation and no harm was reported.

KITALE, KENYA – A man was stabbed to death and two others were injured during a robbery attack by unknown individuals in Folkland village on the outskirts of Kitale. The victim was attacked around 7:00 pm while returning home from choir practice at St Kizito Catholic Church, and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations is handling the case.

OTHAYA, KENYA – Plain-clothes police reportedly fired tear gas grenades into and around St Peter’s Witima Anglican Church of Kenya during a Holy Communion service in Othaya, Nyeri County, forcing congregants to flee and ending the service. Church leaders and the Kenya Human Rights Commission condemned the action and said it violated a High Court order barring crowd-control agents in places of worship.

EASTERN KENYA, KENYA – Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Shabaab claimed it killed four Christians in eastern Kenya. The victims reportedly included an intelligence officer and a monk involved in missionary work.

No current updates.

No current updates.

KAPENA, INDIA – In Kapena village in Nabarangpur district, Odisha, a Hindutva mob reportedly entered a church and prevented Christian tribal community members from holding prayers, threatening demolition and expulsion of converted families and locking the church from the outside. Two youths were reportedly assaulted the following day, and a complaint was reportedly lodged at Umerkote police station.

No current updates.

No current updates.

GREENWOOD, JAMAICA – Thieves broke into Greenwood Baptist Church in Greenwood, Trelawny, on January 27, 2026, ransacked the building, and stole church property including a keyboard, refrigerator, stove, speaker boxes, a computer, and television monitors. Trelawny police reportedly launched a search for the perpetrators.

SANTIAGO MALACATEPEC, MEXICO – A Protestant pastor in Santiago Malacatepec, Mexico was detained by local authorities for five days and expelled from his community after refusing to kneel and pray before an image of Saint James the Apostle during a local festival.

NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS – A man who admitted breaking into Great Commission Ministries and St Barnabas Church in 2025 in Nassau was sentenced to 18 months in prison. The break-ins involved theft of food items and church property from the two churches located near Wulff Road.

EUCLID, UNITED STATES – On January 6, 2026, a suspect entered the Church of the Epiphany in Euclid, Ohio and stole a safe containing cash from the church office. The safe was later recovered in an unrelated resident’s open garage, and police are seeking the suspect.

MOUNT AIRY, UNITED STATES – A shooting across the street from Welcome Baptist Church on the east side of Mount Airy, North Carolina killed two people and injured two others. Authorities said the incident was not related to church activities and there was no ongoing threat to the public.

SAWTELLE, UNITED STATES – In Sawtelle (Los Angeles), a large rock was thrown through a window at Faith Tabernacle Church early in the morning, triggering a burglary alarm and causing property damage. Police responded, nothing was reported stolen, and the church provided security video as the investigation continues.

LAUREL, UNITED STATES – Delaware State Police reported thefts of air conditioner parts from Saint Matthews First Baptist Church (January 6, 2026) and ELIM Delaware Church (January 22, 2026) in Laurel, Delaware. A 50-year-old man from the Laurel area was arrested on January 23, 2026 in connection with the cases.

EAST GREENWICH, UNITED STATES – A Lincoln resident was arrested and accused of stealing about $16,000–$17,000 in checks and $300–$400 in cash from St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. Police reported the theft appeared targeted with missing keys and no forced entry; the suspect faces two larceny counts and was released on personal recognizance.

COLUMBIA, UNITED STATES – U.S. Marine veteran and missionary Michael Ryan Burke, 42, was fatally shot at his home in COLUMBIA, MISSOURI during a planned Facebook Marketplace meetup that police described as a robbery scheme targeting phone sellers. Police arrested four suspects, including a juvenile, who face charges including second-degree murder and first-degree robbery.

PORT ST. LUCIE, UNITED STATES – A church in Port St. Lucie, Florida was vandalized with broken glass, trash dumped on the sidewalk, and a cross torn down after a prior Sunday service disturbance. St. Lucie County deputies are investigating, and the church filed a restraining order while deputies issued a no-trespass order for the plaza.

WINTER PARK, UNITED STATES – At the First Congregational Church of Winter Park, a lawn banner reading “Everyone is Welcome Here” was removed, carried to the front doors, and set on fire. The banner was destroyed and church leaders provided video footage to police.

CARVER, UNITED STATES – A child’s birthday party at the Saint John the Baptist Club, a church-affiliated hall in Carver, Massachusetts, was targeted by a shooting that killed two men and injured two others. A 23-year-old suspect, Nicholas Meuse, was arrested and charged with murder and firearms-related offenses.

NEW HAVEN, UNITED STATES – A burglary was reported at The Church of Latter-day Saints in NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT on January 24, 2026. Yale police said a male suspect allegedly entered the church around 2:15 p.m. and later left the area on foot; no injuries were reported.

KNOXVILLE, UNITED STATES – A man was charged in federal court with arson for allegedly setting two fires inside Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Knoxville on Aug. 11, 2024 while people were present and arriving for Mass. Congregants reportedly extinguished the fires and no injuries were reported.

OSICH, UKRAINE – On January 27, 2026, nuns at the St. Nicholas-Krupytsky Monastery were evicted from their convent in Osich, Chernihiv Province, with police assistance and reportedly without a court order. The eviction was reportedly carried out by the head of the state-run Hetman Capital National Historical and Cultural Preserve, and legal representatives are preparing complaints and court filings.

GLASGOW, UNITED KINGDOM – Police Scotland reported a break-in at St Roch's Parish Chapel in the Roystonhill area of northeast Glasgow on 25 January 2026. The church was left damaged and nothing of value was reported stolen; enquiries are ongoing.

BUNCRANA, IRELAND – Gardaí arrested two men after money was stolen from charity boxes at a chapel in Buncrana, County Donegal. Police reviewed CCTV, recovered a sum of money, and detained, questioned, and charged the men to appear in court.

No current updates.

Please pray for our brothers and sisters in eastern Kenya after Al-Shabaab claimed the killing of four Christians, including an intelligence officer and a monk engaged in missionary service.

Ask the Lord to surround the grieving families and churches with His comfort, to grant courage and steadfast faith to believers who feel exposed or targeted, and to bring protection over Christian communities in the region.

We stand in solidarity with the Kenyan church, entrusting the fallen to God’s mercy and asking that Christ’s peace would guard every heart in the days ahead.

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