The President of the Nigeria Baptist Convention, Rev Israel Akanji, has said the bandits that abducted the 121 students of Bethel Baptist Church in Kaduna have promised to release the remaining students in batches.
He explained this while receiving the first set of 28 students who regained their freedom on Sunday.
“We just received an anonymous call who told us to go and pick up our children somewhere. 28 of them were released. 87 are left with the bandits, six of them have been released earlier.”
Asked whether ransom was paid, he said, “As a group, we don’t believe in ransom payment. But we believe God will bring them back and that is what happened.
“What we said when we came here earlier is that we as a church do not believe in ransom payment and we will not pay any ransom as a church because it is not right to go and pay people who have done what is wrong in order to release the children.
“Although, we are not the only ones concerned about the children, we have the parents, well wishers and neighbours and all that are struggling for their release. Therefore, we cannot really restrict people from their actions in getting the children out.”
On the role played by the Kaduna State government, the church leader said, “We spoke with the governor of the state and he promised to assist us in securing the release of the students.
“He told me some of the things they are putting together to assist us and he said that in security you don’t divulge what you are doing.
“We believe whatever he was doing should have ensured the release of the students before now. We came in agitated, we have been praying for their release and God did it.
“Altogether now, we have 34 released out of the 121 students. We are still expecting 87 of them to come back.
“The children we have here today were just released by the people who abducted them. They kept them in a place and we went there and found the children there and picked them in our vehicles and brought them back.
“Our prayer is that they continue to drop our children somewhere for us to pick them up. An unknown caller just called that our children are in so and so place.”
On his part, the President Kaduna Baptist Conference and Proprietor of the Bethel Baptist High School, Rev Ishaya Adamu Jangado commended all the parents and well-wishers for their prayers and perseverance.
“I speak with abductors of our children every now and then and they have assured me that they will release them in batches. We thank God today we have 28 of them; others will also be released. Let us be encouraged and continue to pray for the safe release of the rest of them,” he admonished.
Also speaking, chairman, Kaduna State Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev John Joseph Hayab appealed to all parents particularly those that their children are yet to be released not to be discouraged but remain steadfast in prayers stressing that “just like the 28 that have been released today and we are rejoicing, so will the rest be released and we shall all gather again and rejoice with the children and you as parents.
“We will not relent in our efforts towards securing their release until all of them are released unhurt, be strong, God will not disappoint us. He will give us victory,” he said.
Narrating his traumatic experience during the last 20 days of his daughter’s stay in captivity, Mr Danboyi Bege said he almost lost his life as he was not sure whether his daughter was going to return alive.
He said her daughter Louis was kidnapped the day she was to start her NECO examinations, adding that she celebrated her 16th birthday in the forest.
According to Mr Bege, “I almost died when my daughter was away. In fact, I was dead alive because, I thought, I will never see my daughter again.
“My daughter was kidnapped the day she was to start her NECO examination. She celebrated her 16th birthday on July 23rd in the bush with kidnappers.
“When they were abducted several thoughts went through my mind because thousands had gone and they killed them in the bush. I was just living by the grace of God. What usually keeps me awake at night is whenever I think of where she is, which bush she was being kept. I won’t be able to sleep. But glory to God she is back.”
Also speaking, Hosea Garba Maisamari said, “it has not been easy since we received the report, even for a day. The issue of ransom is only the school management that can answer that but for us God has done it. He would continue his education in the school because this thing (kidnapping) happens everywhere, even in the house. Government should take precaution and address the issue.”
Also, Danladi Badi was very happy after receiving his daughter, Ruth. He said, “I want to thank God because the only word on my lips now is gratitude to God who did it. Ruth was born April 8 2009 she is in JSS3. We are praying to God to grant us the release of the remaining students.”
Meanwhile, a parent of one of the freed students said N100 million ransom was paid to secure the students’ release.
(Tribune)