One of the kidnap Bethel Baptist Church regains freedom after million ransom paid

One of the remaining four Bethel Baptist High school students in Kaduna has been freed after over 150 days in captivity.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) had in October raised an alarm that four students of Bethel Baptist College in Kaduna had spent 120 days in the den of bandits after their abduction in July.

The organisation, therefore, called on the government to double its efforts to end criminality in the country.

This was made known by the Vice President of CAN (19 Northern States and Abuja) and

its chairman in Kaduna State, Rev. Joseph John Hayab in a statement titled ‘Four Baptist High School Kaduna students still with bandits over 120 days today.”

 

The statement read, “It is sad to again remind us that despite different security measures put forward by the government in Kaduna State, our children in Bethel Baptist High School who were kidnapped since July 5, 2021, on the school premises in Damishi, Kaduna have not all yet been released.

“Parents, school management, church leaders and relations are worried. We have prayed and we are still praying. We have appealed and cried out to the government and those who we think are responsible for the security of our nation but the journey to freedom for these children has been with a speed of a snail.

“CAN in Kaduna State, therefore, wishes to let Nigerians know that we still have four of our school children in captivity. The pains and trauma their parents are going through cannot be described. We must not forget these children and we are pleading with all spirited Nigerians to join us to appeal to those concerned to do anything they can to bring the remaining children back home.”

“Government should therefore double its efforts to stop the evil these criminals are causing fellow citizens,” it added.

However, on Friday, Hayab, at a news briefing in Kaduna said an additional N5 

million was paid before the hoodlums released the student.

The released student, who happened to be the head boy of the school, was said to have been released on health grounds, Daily Independent reports.

Meanwhile, Hayab also said the abductors of the 66 worshippers of the Emmanuel Baptist Church, Kakau Daji in the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, were demanding a ransom of N99 million to release the 61 remaining abductees in their custody after killing five of them.

Two of the abductees were killed on the spot; two others were shot dead later while one was injured and hospitalised.