Tragedy struck at the peak of hope for dozens of displaced Christian families when the entire harvest they depended on for survival was reduced to ashes in an alleged brazen act of arson.
The victims, Christians who had earlier been driven from their ancestral homes by terrorists, were living as internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Fufore Local Government Area of Adamawa State. Drawn from different villages and stripped of all means of livelihood, the families pooled their meagre resources to hire a parcel of land to farm—clinging to agriculture as their last lifeline against hunger and famine.
They planted maize, rice, beans, and groundnuts. For weeks, they laboured under the sun with quiet determination, dreaming of a harvest that would feed their children and restore a measure of dignity to their shattered lives. When the crops were finally gathered, the produce was stacked together, ready to be shared among the IDP families.
Then, at about 2:00 p.m. on a day the survivors now describe as “fateful,” disaster unfolded.
While working on the farm, the IDPs noticed thick smoke billowing into the sky. Panic set in as they ran toward the source—only to find their entire harvest engulfed in flames. Unknown assailants had set the food stocks ablaze. In minutes, months of sweat, hope, and sacrifice were wiped out.
“It was pure wickedness,” one survivor said quietly. “Everything we had was gone.”
The attack left the already traumatized families devastated, staring once again at the prospect of hunger.
The heartbreaking news reached the Lay Faithful Trust Foundation (LYTF) as it was preparing its annual Christmas food relief for IDPs in Yola, Adamawa State. Moved by the suffering of the displaced Christians, the Foundation took swift action—purchasing the entire harvest the IDPs had lost and restoring it to them in full.
The response brought tears of relief and joy to the affected families, many of whom described the intervention as a miracle that saved them from despair.
At the same time, the Lay Faithful Trust Foundation extended Christmas food relief to IDPs in three camps in Girei Local Government Area: Sangere Dutse, Fombina E.Y.N., and Anguwan Fulani Family camps.
The Foundation has expressed deep gratitude to donors and supporters whose generous contributions made the interventions possible, offering prayers that God will bless and replenish them abundantly.
For the displaced families of Adamawa, the flames that destroyed their harvest did not have the final word. Compassion did.
Spokesman for LYTF, Pastor Bosun Emmanuel, thanked those who generously contribute funds to support Christian IDPs in Nigeria. He urged those who wish to contribute to use the Lay Faithful Trust Foundation account in the United Bank for Africa (UBA) with number 102 493 7491; Zenith bank account number 131 149 4124; and to donate in USD ($), access https://layfaithful.org/donate
