Lawlessness: Nigerian President Declares State Of Emergency As Entire Villages, Towns Across Northeast Now Controlled By Islamists

2 Thessalonians 2:1a,3, “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him … that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction …”

President Goodluck Jonathan

By JON GAMBRELL, Associated Press – “LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Admitting Islamic extremists now control some of his nation’s villages and towns, Nigeria’s president declared a state of emergency Tuesday across the country’s troubled northeast, promising to send more troops to fight what he said is now an open rebellion.

President Goodluck Jonathan, speaking live on state radio and television networks, also warned that any building suspected to house Islamic extremists would be taken over in what he described as the ‘war’ now facing Africa’s most populous nation. However, it’s unclear what the emergency powers will do to halt the violence, as a similar past effort failed to stop the bloodshed.

‘It would appear that there is a systematic effort by insurgents and terrorists to destabilize the Nigerian state and test our collective resolve,’ Jonathan said.

Jonathan said the order will be in force in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states. He said the states would receive more troops, though he will not remove state politicians from their posts. Under Nigerian law, the president has the power to remove politicians from their posts and install a caretaker government in emergency circumstances.

The president’s speech offered the starkest vision of the ongoing violence, often downplayed by security forces and government officials due to political considerations. Jonathan described the attacks as a ‘rebellion,’ at one point describing how fighters had destroyed government buildings and ‘had taken women and children as hostages.’

‘Already, some northern parts of Borno state have been taken over by groups whose allegiance are to different flags than Nigeria’s,’ Jonathan said.

The president later added: ‘These actions amount to a declaration of war and a deliberate attempt to undermine the authority of the Nigerian state and threaten (its) territorial integrity. As a responsible government, we will not tolerate this.'” Read more.

Flashback: Nigerian President Warns The End Times May Be Near After Islamists Massacre More Christians Attending Church – “In another deadly move portraying Nigeria’s Borno state as a killing field for Nigerian Christians, attackers have stormed a church service in Kiyak village in the outskirts of Chibok, killing another set of 15 worshippers. It was the second major killing of Christians in the Chibok area. Early in December, 10 Christians were also killed in the area… News of the killings emerged after President Goodluck Jonathan questioned whether deadly Islamist attacks on churches in his country and other violence worldwide could be signs of coming ‘end times’… The attack followed another gruesome killing Friday that saw attackers slit the throats of 15 Christians in a pre-dawn raid in Musari …” Read more.

Flashback: ‘The New Killing Fields For Christians’: Islamists In Nigeria Burn Pastor’s Family To Death Along With 50 Church Members – “Reports disclosed that over 100 people were killed by armed terrorists this past week, who went on a 12-village killing spree in Nigeria’s Plateau state. Islamic extremist group Boko Haram has once again taken responsibility for the assaults. While different sources shared various reports of the numbers who lost their lives last week in the latest assault on Christians, which have been occurring on a weekly basis for many months in Nigeria, a story last week by the Baptist Press confirmed that about 50 members of the Church of Christ in Nigeria in the village of Maseh were burned alive after they took refuge in their pastor’s house following a terrorist raid.” Read more.