Nigerian Christians ask for prayer to end violence

Nigerian Anglicans are asking Christians around the world to pray and fast for an end to violence in the country.

Northern Nigeria has been hit by a wave of deadly attacks on churches, mostly blamed on Islamist militant group Boko Haram.

At least seven people were killed and dozens injured in a suicide bombing during mass at a Catholic church in Kaduna last week.

Archbishop Ikechi Nwachukwu Nwosu told the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) meeting in New Zealand that the situation for Christians in Nigeria was "terrible".

He appealed to Christians to lobby their governments to intervene in the situation in Nigeria.

Christians in the country are uniting in a week of prayer and fasting starting on 12 November and they are asking believers around the world to join with them.

Fellow ACC member Abraham Yisa said: "Churches are being bombed every Sunday, especially in the northern part [of the country].

"The situation is that people are refusing to go to church or when they go to church they don’t know whether they’ll return home. Services during the week are disrupted, people are afraid to worship."