British missionary's death mourned by hundreds in Nigeria

Residents of an isolated Nigerian village are mourning the death of a British missionary who died after being kidnapped by vigilantes.

Hundreds of villagers from Enokhora, an impoverished community in the southern Delta region, dressed in black to parade in honour of Ian Squire, 57, according to local media.

Three other missionaries were also kidnapped but returned alive and are currently in talks with Foreign Office officials in London after their capture. 

But Squire, an optician in Surrey, is thought to have died after being unable to access medication for an asthma condition, according to Nigerian press.

The four ran an eye clinic and other medical facilities in the remote area of southern Nigeria for a decade before their kidnap on October 13.

'These people have come all the way from the UK to help us and because of the kidnapping by the Karowei, this led to the death of Doctor Ian,' one community leader said, according to Nigerian media.

'We want to the world to see that we are not happy with the activities of this gang, and to appeal to the federal government to make sure that the Karowei should be brought to book. The loss of Doctor Ian has led to the closure of this clinic.'

Another local, Comrade Michael Ogobiri, said the missionaries had refused to have security guards in spite of previous threats.

'We had set up a local vigilante for them before, but they rejected it because they said they believed in God and they're missionaries,' Mr Ogobiri told the Nigerian Tribune. 'We never believed such could happen. They've been here since 2007.'

Squire was kidnapped alongside former Cambridgeshire GP David Donovan and his wife Shirley, both 57, and Alanna Carson, of Fife.

They have so far refused to comment on their ordeal.

News
Open letter urges Northern Ireland to reject conversion therapy ban
Open letter urges Northern Ireland to reject conversion therapy ban

Conversion only seems to be a problem if it goes in one direction.

Pope urges Church to find its voice in secular France
Pope urges Church to find its voice in secular France

France was previously known as the "first daughter" of the Catholic Church.

Church in Wales pauses plans to allow gay marriage
Church in Wales pauses plans to allow gay marriage

The Church in Wales has pulled back from plans to allow homosexual weddings to take place in churches.

Plans afoot for new pro-life group at the UN
Plans afoot for new pro-life group at the UN

Organisers specifically said they wanted to counter organised LGBT influence at the UN level.