On 9 December 2004, Sunday Nache Achi lost his life at the hands of persecution. Passionate, sincere, faithful, and loving – these are some of the words used to describe Nigerian Christian Sunday Nache Achi. Despite the opposition to Christian evangelism on the campus of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Achi passionately shared his faith openly with other students. While studying architecture at the university, he served as president of the campus ministry of the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA).
Despite the tension between Muslim and Christian students on the university grounds, Achi continued his ministry and Bible studies – people needed to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. Achi was at one of these meetings when men showed up at his room looking for him.
Achi closed his Bible and looked around at the people gathered in the small room. It had been a good turnout, with some new students, and everyone was eager to hear the gospel. Even though three of their members had recently been expelled from the school for distributing leaflets contrasting Jesus’ teachings with Islamic beliefs, they continued to meet. Achi bowed his head and led the group in prayer, unaware of the turmoil back at his room in the student hostel.
Idakwo Ako Paul, Achi’s roommate, stared at the papers in front of him, wishing he was praying with the others instead of studying for his exam the next day. The stillness was broken as the door burst open and Paul jumped in his chair. Three Muslim students dressed in Islamic jihad clothing rushed into the room and demanded: “Where is the Christian leader? Where is Sunday?” “I don’t know where he is,” said Paul. The men angrily stormed out of the room and continued their search.
A few hours later, Achi returned, and Paul shared what had happened. Though his life was in danger, Achi simply smiled, thanked Paul for telling him, and took a seat at his drawing board to work on some drafts for his architectural class the next morning. Paul lay down on his bed and went to sleep.
“Wake up, Paul! Wake up!” Achi screamed. Paul jumped out of bed and saw masked Muslim men dragging Achi out of the room. Paul ran toward the door, but one of the kidnappers pointed a pistol at him, forcing him back into the room and locking him inside. Paul pounded on the door and screamed. The Muslims living in the hostel stayed in their rooms. Paul slumped to the floor, exhausted. No one came to help.
Paul was awakened the next morning by one of the Christian students unlocking the door. Paul told him about Achi and made a plan to tell the other Christians of the danger they faced. They ran out of the room, down the stairs, and right into another Christian brother who knew what had happened to Achi.
“He’s dead,” he said, tears streaming down his face. He collapsed into the men’s arms as he began to tell them about Achi’s body, which was found next to a mosque, near the home of the university’s vice chancellor. His neck was broken from being strangled, and bruises covered his body. The men wept as they shared their grief over the loss of a strong, brave, and faithful friend who was now gone.
The persecution didn’t end with the death of Sunday Nache Achi. It grew stronger. The offices of the Nigeria Fellowship of Evangelical Students (NIFES) were burned down, and authorities closed Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University. One of the Christian students from the university said it best: “Evangelism is something we must be prepared to die for. I see in the Bible examples of many who had to lay down their lives for the sake of the gospel. Why not me?”
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