This past week Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, president of the Christian Association of Nigeria, met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. calling for U.S. help in the growing violence and persecution of Christians in his home country of Nigeria. There are some 80 million Christian believers in Nigeria. In northern Nigeria there has been terrible suffering at the hands of militant terrorists in their country.

At first, the focus of attacks was upon the churches--killing Christian believers who professed faith in Jesus Christ and burning their buildings to the ground. Now, the terrorists have turned to the schools and are killing innocent children.

Pastor Oritsejafor said at the National Press Club, "America has a strong history of civil rights and my hope is that our brothers here can awaken the conscience of humanity to stop this genocide."

According to estimates from the Associated Press, more than 800 Christians have lost their lives in the unchecked violence and persecution of Christian believers in Nigeria. The Islamic group, Boko Haram, has has taken credit for the violent bloodshed that has been spilled there. Boko Haram is a militant fringe group whose leader, Abubakar Shekau, will continue to promote violence and persecution throughout the region until all of Nigeria comes under Sharia law.

The sad and disappointing thing for many Nigerians is the lack of U.S. support for them during this crisis. With so much brutality and death taking place at the hands of these militant terrorists in their country, our State Department continues to refuse to designate Boko Haram as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO). Many groups here in the U.S.--including the Family Research Council and the American Center for Law and Justice--have appealed to Secretary John Kerry urging him and the State Department to list Boko Haram as an FTO. Great Britain has already taken this measure in their country.

Pastor Oritsejafor made this trip to Washington hoping to persuade our lawmakers for some financial assistance to help those who have suffered so greatly and experienced tremendous loss. The Nigerian government has promised some financial aid to help the suffering Christians, but little has been done so far.

Oritsejafor is hopeful that his visit will generate some humanitarian assistance for his country. Let's pray that the cries of the people in Nigeria will be heard here in America! The people need our prayers, our love, and our encouragement.