Source: Christian Solidarity Worldwide, June 6, 2023
Sixteen members of Bege Baptist Church [in] central Nigeria, who were abducted in May, were released on June 4 after spending almost a month in captivity.
Around 40 members of the congregation were abducted on May 7 by armed assailants of Fulani ethnicity who attacked the church’s Sunday service. The majority managed to escape; however, 16 of them remained in the hands of their captors for almost a month.
The Kaduna State Chair of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. John Joseph Hayab, informed CSW that members of the local Muslim community had contributed funds towards the ransom, and had also purchased a motorcycle requested by the abductors as part of the payment: “I confirm and give thanks that all 16 are now back home. We are grateful to the local Muslims who contributed towards the ransom, and pray that from now [on] the two religious communities will work together to bring this painful era of kidnapping, violence, and killings to an end.”
Read the full story with includes additional background and commentary on the current political climate.