The Taraba State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) reported that no fewer than 25 people were killed and several others injured in renewed attacks across seven communities in Takum and Donga local government areas of Taraba State. CAN said the violence lasted for two days and forced many residents to flee. In a statement signed in Jalingo by CAN’s Taraba chairman, Rev. Fr. Williams Awoshiri condemned the wave of attacks.

CAN reported that about 11 people were killed in attacks last Sunday and an additional 14 were killed in further attacks on Tuesday, citing local residents and church leaders as primary sources. The communities listed as affected include Adu, Aga, Mbaiyerikyaior, Tse-Nev, Facii, Demevaa and Igbum. CAN also said the insecurity has led to about 114 churches across various denominations being shut.

Catholic impact appears significant: CAN expressed concern that several Catholic parishes and outstations had been deserted, attacked, or shut down, naming sites including St. Peter Amadu, St. Peter New Gboko, Holy Family Takum, and St. Francis Jenuwa Nyifiye. CAN further listed churches in the Chanchanji Deanery and said about 103 churches of other denominations across Takum and Donga LGAs have also been forced to close. CAN noted the violence began in September and has displaced hundreds of thousands of people, mostly Christian farmers.

What this means: The reported closure of roughly 114 churches indicates a direct, sustained disruption to Christian worship, pastoral care, and community stability in Takum and Donga. The named impacts on Catholic parishes and outstations suggest ministry infrastructure is being degraded, not just threatened.

Who's at risk: Christian communities in the listed affected areas—Adu, Aga, Mbaiyerikyaior, Tse-Nev, Facii, Demevaa and Igbum—and church networks operating across Takum and Donga LGAs face elevated risk of displacement and loss of access to congregations. The report highlights particular disruption to Catholic parishes and the Chanchanji Deanery churches.

Outlook: With CAN stating the violence began in September and now includes a two-day spike with 25 reported killed, further short-notice disruptions to services and travel are plausible in the near term. Watch for additional church closures, continued population flight, and further reports from local residents and church leaders as indicators of whether violence is spreading beyond the currently named communities.

YELWATA, NIGERIA – An American missionary said Benue State Government officials blocked his effort to help rebuild Yelwata village’s local market after a June 2025 bandit attack that reportedly killed scores and damaged the area.

NABANGA VILLAGE, SOUTH SUDAN – In the Source Yubu area of Nabanga village, Tambura County, a 32-year-old man (Dunka Ngora) was arrested for allegedly setting fire to a local church and fatally stabbing his brother. Authorities said the suspect is in police custody pending investigation and legal proceedings.

ABA, NIGERIA – At the United Evangelical Church in Ogbor Hill, Aba, church members reported finding a suspected bomb-like object while digging for a new fence near the parsonage, which soldiers reportedly evacuated. Abia State Police Command denied it was an explosive, stating investigators found only an iron rod from a fence pillar; the church later held a thanksgiving service after the evacuation.

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OAXACA CITY, MEXICO – A Protestant pastor in an unspecified village in Oaxaca State, Mexico, was reportedly arrested after refusing to pray to an image of St. James during a festival, then bound with a rope and expelled from the community. The pastor and his family temporarily relocated to Oaxaca City and filed a complaint with the Defense of Human Rights of the People of Oaxaca, with no official response reported as of Jan. 19.

CHAMBERSBURG, UNITED STATES – On Christmas Day 2025, a man spray-painted multiple messages on Mount Pleasant Brethren Church in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, and was photographed taking pictures of the vandalism. Pennsylvania State Police are seeking information about the suspect.

PROVIDENCE, UNITED STATES – An adult male was chased and stabbed multiple times outside MATHEWSON STREET CHURCH in PROVIDENCE, later getting inside the church for safety before being transported to RHODE ISLAND HOSPITAL with non-life-threatening injuries. Police had no one in custody and the motive was unclear at the time of reporting.

WIMAUMA, UNITED STATES – A 14-year-old boy was arrested after authorities said he planned a mass shooting at a church in Wimauma, Florida, following a tip to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies searched his home and reported finding multiple guns and ammunition; no casualties were reported.

PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES – Police found an unidentified woman dead on the steps of a church in the Eastwick section of Southwest Philadelphia, and an investigation is underway. The Medical Examiner is working with police to determine the cause of death.

KHERSON, UKRAINE – Russian forces shelled KHERSON overnight, damaging a healthcare facility and the HOLY SPIRIT CATHEDRAL and related church buildings. Authorities reported 10 people wounded in MLRS shelling, with no casualties reported at the cathedral site.

LIVERPOOL, UNITED KINGDOM – An 18-year-old man was found unconscious beside St Luke’s Church (“Bombed Out Church”) on Berry Street in Liverpool city centre, and police said he had been assaulted and suffered a serious head injury. Merseyside Police said the assault may have been racially motivated and appealed for witnesses and dashcam footage.

MINEHEAD, UNITED KINGDOM – An arrest warrant was issued for Wilfred Owen after he failed to appear for sentencing at Taunton Magistrates’ Court over religiously aggravated criminal damage at St Andrews Church in Minehead, where he urinated into a holy water stoup bowl and damaged an altar cross.

KHABAROVSK, RUSSIA – A South Korean female Christian missionary (surname Park) was reportedly arrested and detained by local authorities in KHABAROVSK, and the religious facility she operated was reportedly shut down. South Korea’s embassy and consulate in Vladivostok said they are checking her condition, and a South Korean consul met with her to confirm her health.

MAIDSTONE, AUSTRALIA – Police and firefighters responded to a suspicious fire at the Church of Christ in Maidstone, west of Melbourne, just after 1am on February 8, 2026. No one was inside and no injuries were reported; police arrested a 36-year-old man from Footscray near the scene for questioning.

Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Taraba State, Nigeria, where renewed attacks across seven communities in Takum and Donga have reportedly killed at least 25 people, injured others, displaced families, and forced the shutdown of about 114 churches.

Ask the Lord to comfort the grieving, bring healing to the wounded, and provide protection and daily provision for those who have fled their homes.

Pray for courage and steadfast faith for pastors and congregations who cannot gather openly right now, and for wisdom and justice for local authorities to stop the violence and hold perpetrators accountable.

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