Violent protests in Nigeria

[Avuhe]

https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/20/nigeria-protests-lead-to-24-hour-lagos-curfew

 

Protest of this sort were unheard of in Nigeria but now they are happening before our eyes.

[carlos]

How timely is next week's talk about neutrality!

I know by experience how easy is to sympathize with protesters when they demand something reasonable. But it woudl be pointless to involve ourselves in any of these conflicts. No human organization is going to solve our problems.

[GodlyDevotion]

I so want to be wrong, but I hope it doesn't lead to civil war. Soldiers are shooting at protesters; protesters are burning buildings and engaging the police. It's a massacre... And it's getting scarier.

[Nelly Kim]

Ya I'm worried this could lead to a civil war. Its getting out of control

[Avuhe]

3 hours ago, carlos said:

How timely is next week's talk about neutrality!

I know by experience how easy is to sympathize with protesters when they demand something reasonable. But it woudl be pointless to involve ourselves in any of these conflicts. No human organization is going to solve our problems.

We are facing a test of neutrality down here in Nigeria but with JEHOVAH'S help we will stand firm 

[Ishaya]

as i watch international tv stations everyday what i see and have profoundly believed is that the world everywhere is totally out of control.an agitation of the nations not knowing the way out .people all over the world are so  grieved and horrified not just because of failed expectations but because the search and struggle for lasting peace and confort has not only proved elusive but excruciatingly painful.every solution   satan has ever offered has not only been deceptively temporary but abysmally atrocious.people yearn for the right answers but they ask the wrong questions.it is sad that the world always turns to  its grossly  unreliable   ways and methods   of finding safty and achieving a better society but how illusionary and disastrous and painful that has always proven to be.how very unfortunate that the nations  have tightly shut their eyes against a glaring reality that man's rule is futile and only Jehovah's rule by Jesus Christ can guarantee lasting peace and security for the society of mankind.How privileged we are as God's beloved people to be entrusted with this invaluable knowlege of the sacred secret especially at a much needed time as these that is marked with so much fears and uncertainty.

[Nelly Kim]

[Avuhe]

Update. Today 48 hrs curfue was imposed in my state (delta state) meetings for tomorrow are canceled publishers were asked to review the meeting parts as a family. We were also told to do our best to watch what we say so we mentain neutrality 

[BLEmom]

3 minutes ago, Avuhe said:

Update. Today 48 hrs curfue was imposed in my state (delta state) meetings for tomorrow are canceled publishers were asked to review the meeting parts as a family. We were also told to do our best to watch what we say so we mentain neutrality 

Thank you for the update and for your fine examples of neutrality!  We need them!

[Avuhe]

We also heard reports that angry protesters became angry at JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES because some brothers posted link to the jw.org article is protest really the answer on social media. 

[Avuhe]

I called my mum this evening to check on them and she told me that angry mobs broke into a maximum security prison and freed some inmates 

There have been at least 3 jailbreaks across the country since the protest turned violent 

[well]

Stay safe my brother

[Avuhe]

21 hours ago, Ishaya said:

as i watch international tv stations everyday what i see and have profoundly believed is that the world everywhere is totally out of control.an agitation of the nations not knowing the way out .people all over the world are so  grieved and horrified not just because of failed expectations but because the search and struggle for lasting peace and confort has not only proved elusive but excruciatingly painful.every solution   satan has ever offered has not only been deceptively temporary but abysmally atrocious.people yearn for the right answers but they ask the wrong questions.it is sad that the world always turns to  its grossly  unreliable   ways and methods   of finding safty and achieving a better society but how illusionary and disastrous and painful that has always proven to be.how very unfortunate that the nations  have tightly shut their eyes against a glaring reality that man's rule is futile and only Jehovah's rule by Jesus Christ can guarantee lasting peace and security for the society of mankind.How privileged we are as God's beloved people to be entrusted with this invaluable knowlege of the sacred secret especially at a much needed time as these that is marked with so much fears and uncertainty.

Bro ishaya what part of Nigeria are you leaving and how are things there with the friends 

[Avuhe]

2 minutes ago, ivy said:

Stay safe my brother

Sure with JEHOVAH'S help 

[zoebarry]

2 hours ago, Avuhe said:

We also heard reports that angry protesters became angry at JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES because some brothers posted link to the jw.org article is protest really the answer on social media. 

But didn’t we receive counsel NOT to post links on social media?

 

🤷‍♀️

[Doug]

5 hours ago, Avuhe said:

We also heard reports that angry protesters became angry at JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES because some brothers posted link to the jw.org article is protest really the answer on social media. 

The brothers who did this undoubtedly had good intentions.

However, when emotions are elevated as they are during riots, such a post can be considered a COUNTER PROTEST.

 

Case in point:  At our Regional Convention in Sacramento 2019 , there was an agitator who had a portable loudspeaker in a back-pack. He stood at the main entrance while the friends waited (some friends will queue an hour early). This man not only had an amplifier , but he was shouting into his microphone as well. It was very loud. He went on and on about Jesus.

 

Well, some of the friends thought it would be a good idea to start singing kingdom songs. Probably just to hear something more positive than the guys diatribe.

 

But the responsible brothers said that the singing could be viewed as a COUNTER PROTEST directed at the agitator, and wanted to avoid that.

We just made sure the guy didn't touch any of the friends.

 

The police eventually told the guy he could speak but had to stop using the loudspeakers because the nearby business owners were bothered by it.

[GodlyDevotion]

The situation is critical, somewhat calmer today. I stay in the city that is exposed to violence. It was reported that armed soldiers shot at peaceful protesters in the night after shutting the cameras and street light to avoid traces of evidence. It happened in the city I live in....

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/21/world/africa/nigeria-shooting-protesters-SARS-Lekki.amp.html&ved=2ahUKEwipsYuL0MrsAhUGShUIHZ4TDTQQiJQBMAF6BAgGEAw&usg=AOvVaw3j0u608U-1FaY65SjxuCVs&ampcf=1

 

My brother — who isn't a witness — told me that a few days back, protesters would go against everyone, not holding a leaf in support of the movement. They would hit at cars not having the leaf also. It reminded me of the videos from the last CO's visit about the need to maintain neutrality. It was bound to occur anyway.... 

Edited October 23, 2020 by GodlyDevotion

[GodlyDevotion]

7 hours ago, Doug said:

The brothers who did this undoubtedly had good intentions.

However, when emotions are elevated as they are during riots, such a post can be considered a COUNTER PROTEST.

Sadly, this proved to be the case. I was bewildered when some friends started getting all emotional about it. True, it wasn't a protest of empathy, but survival. Police brutality affects many youths in Nigeria.

 

But the best way to avoid criticism, as I have learned, is "to say nothing, do nothing, and be nothing." After all, we are temporary residents of Satan's system. 

[comtemplate]

19 hours ago, Avuhe said:

We also heard reports that angry protesters became angry at JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES because some brothers posted link to the jw.org article is protest really the answer on social me

we never know what our message will do to hearts of people.... hang in there 

[Ishaya]

On Thu Oct 22 2020 at 11:26 PM, Avuhe said:

Bro ishaya what part of Nigeria are you leaving and how are things there with the friends 

thanks alot brotherTrust for the updates.i am from northern nigeria and i live in my hometown masaka,its a stonethrow from the FCT Abuja.my area has not been affected and the  brothers and sisters are doing just fine as well.my hometown congregation is a small one and we see ourselves almost everyday.

but its sad to hear that the brothers in other parts of the country are facing difficulties.you will always be in our prayers.

 

[Ishaya]

4 hours ago, comtemplate said:

we never know what our message will do to hearts of people.... hang in there 

very true sister shonda.ecclesiastes talks about a time to be quiet.this is not a sign of weakness or a fear of man as a publisher  may be tempted to think. but its just that talking wont be beneficial at such times.

[carlos]

On 10/23/2020 at 12:13 AM, Avuhe said:

Update. Today 48 hrs curfue was imposed in my state (delta state) meetings for tomorrow are canceled publishers were asked to review the meeting parts as a family. We were also told to do our best to watch what we say so we mentain neutrality 

Were you having meetings at the Kingdom Hall? I thought there were no meetings in person anywhere on earth right now.

[Avuhe]

6 hours ago, carlos said:

Were you having meetings at the Kingdom Hall? I thought there were no meetings in person anywhere on earth right now.

Over here some congregations meet in small groups. Like my congregation of about 38 publishers was divided into 7 groups. This is the case because most of the publishers do not have smart phones and the Internet is not so strong to host a zoom meeting. But because of the curfew even those small group meetings where canceled and publishers were asked to review the meeting parts as a family. 

[Avuhe]

Update: The riots are subsiding but there are areas where it is still not safe due to the activities of hoodlums who are looting properties of shop owners. People have started counting the cost of the protest. As we all know things like this leave behind sorrow tears and pain. The president gave a speech today addressing the human cost of the protest see the link below 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-54666368

"The president told the meeting that 51 civilians, 11 police officers and seven soldiers had been killed in the unrest, his spokesperson said. It was not immediately clear whether these figures included the protesters allegedly killed by security forces in Lagos on Tuesday".

[Avuhe]

8 hours ago, Ishaya said:

thanks alot brotherTrust for the updates.i am from northern nigeria and i live in my hometown masaka,its a stonethrow from the FCT Abuja.my area has not been affected and the  brothers and sisters are doing just fine as well.my hometown congregation is a small one and we see ourselves almost everyday.

but its sad to hear that the brothers in other parts of the country are facing difficulties.you will always be in our prayers.

 

Thanks brother Ishaya. I hope to meet with you some day. If it is JEHOVAH'S will that the special convention holds next year and we are able to make it.