Armed men suspected to be Boko Haram attacked Tarfa village in Borno State, killing five people including an EYN (Church of the Brethren) pastor. The Borno State CAN chairman, Rev. John Bakeni, said “five people were killed… [and] the entire village was burnt down”. A villager described the incident as a “devastating attack” involving houses and shops set on fire.

Reporting differs on timing and administrative location: one account says attackers arrived on motorbikes around 7pm and operated for over an hour, while another places the attack on Wednesday at about 4pm. Leadership reports Tarfa is a remote community “under Biu” that shares borders with Hawul LGA, while NaijaNews identifies Tarfa as in Hawul LGA. A hunters/vigilante leader said six of his members engaged the attackers but were overwhelmed, and that the assailants looted foodstuffs and livestock.

The pastor killed is identified as Evangelist Musa Umoru. Leadership reports he was shot dead in front of his house after returning from his farm. As of the reporting cited, Borno Police spokesperson Nahum Daso said he needed time to verify the incident.

What this means: The killing of an EYN pastor alongside civilians and the reported burning of Tarfa village underscores the acute vulnerability of Christian communities in remote Borno to fast-moving raids.

Who's at risk: Churches and Christian workers operating in or transiting rural communities in the Biu/Hawul border area face elevated risk, particularly where attackers can arrive quickly by motorbike and where local defenders report being outgunned.

Outlook: Watch for follow-on displacement and humanitarian needs as residents reportedly fled after the attack, and for any official confirmation as police indicated the incident was still being verified.

TUDUN BUSSA, NIGERIA – Gunmen described as bandits abducted Baptist pastor Daniel Bagama and his three daughters from his residence in Tudun Bussa village, Chikun Local Government Area, Kaduna State. The attackers fired sporadically late at night and took the victims to an unknown destination.

OTHAYA, KENYA – Violent clashes erupted during a church service at Witima ACK Church in Othaya, Nyeri County, attended by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. Police fired live bullets and teargas to disperse the crowd, and multiple vehicles including all cars in Gachagua’s convoy were damaged as authorities opened an investigation.

KURMIN WALI, NIGERIA – Armed bandits attacked two churches in Kurmin Wali (Afogo ward), Kaduna State, and abducted worshippers during Sunday services. A Kaduna State Christian Association of Nigeria leader said 172 were kidnapped and nine later escaped, leaving 163 still held.

TEHRAN, IRAN – Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reported that two Armenian churches were damaged during recent unrest in Iran. The statement also reported widespread infrastructure damage and 3,117 deaths from the unrest, according to official figures.

No current updates.

MUMBAI, INDIA – Two people were arrested for allegedly stealing a priest’s cellphone from inside St Teresa’s Church in Khar West, Mumbai on Jan 15, 2026. Police tracked the suspects via CCTV and arrested them on Jan 22, but the phone had not yet been recovered.

MUMBAI, INDIA – Police in Mumbai registered an FIR on 19 January 2026 against two priests and three security guards linked to Mount Mary Basilica in Bandra for allegedly stealing construction materials from an open plot in March 2025. The case includes charges for theft, criminal trespass, and criminal intimidation following a court directive.

ODISHA, INDIA – Odisha Police detained nine people over an alleged assault and public humiliation of Pastor Bipin Bihari Naik in the Parjang area of Dhenkanal district in early January 2026. Police said preliminary findings did not support some reported claims and a doctor’s report found no grievous injury.

No current updates.

No current updates.

No current updates.

EAST GREENWICH, UNITED STATES – East Greenwich Police arrested a Lincoln man accused of stealing more than $10,000 in donations from St. Luke’s Church in East Greenwich. The theft was discovered in August 2025 after checks and cash were reported missing from locked money bags stored in a locked file cabinet inside a locked church office.

BUFFALO, UNITED STATES – In Buffalo, New York, LaChria Bowden was sentenced to five years of probation after pleading guilty to stealing about $272,205 from an East Side church. Prosecutors said she wrote checks to herself while serving as an assistant to the church treasurer between November 2017 and September 2024.

ST. GEORGE, UNITED STATES – A shooting at Grace Life Fellowship Church on Barringer Foreman Road in St. George, Louisiana left one person hospitalized in critical condition after an argument on the church facility’s basketball court. East Baton Rouge Parish deputies arrested 51-year-old Lee Andrew Johnson and booked him into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison.

CHARLOTTE, UNITED STATES – Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police are investigating a shooting in a church parking lot on Eastfield Road in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, in which one person was shot. The victim’s condition and suspect information were not reported.

COLERAIN TOWNSHIP, UNITED STATES – Pennsylvania State Police are investigating after a vehicle repeatedly did donuts in the field at Mt. Vernon Christian Church on Lighthouse Drive in Colerain Township, damaging the church’s grassy field. Troopers responded on Jan. 13, 2026 around 11:30 a.m., with more than $1,000 in reported damage.

SAN FRANCISCO, UNITED STATES – A car crashed into MiShalom Church on Nevada Street in San Francisco, injuring seven people inside the church, including a child. Three victims were transported to a hospital and authorities said the incident appeared unintentional.

ST. PAUL, UNITED STATES – Protesters associated with Black Lives Matter Minnesota entered Cities Church in St. Paul during a Sunday service, chanting slogans and demanding accountability for the reported death of Renee Good. The U.S. Department of Justice opened an investigation into the disruption of the worship service.

No current updates.

ALBANY, AUSTRALIA – Police in Albany charged a man after an alleged assault on an elderly parishioner at St John’s Anglican Church. The incident involved a Christian place of worship and a church member as the reported victim.

Please pray for the believers abducted during Sunday services when armed bandits attacked two churches in Kurmin Wali (Afogo ward), Kaduna State, Nigeria—reports say 172 were taken and 163 remain in captivity.

Ask the Lord for swift rescue, protection from harm, and supernatural peace and endurance for every captive, especially the vulnerable, and for comfort and strength for families and church leaders waiting in anguish.

Pray also for wisdom and courage for authorities and negotiators, that justice would prevail and further attacks on churches would be prevented.

We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Kaduna, trusting that Christ is near and will sustain them even in the darkest valley.

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