The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kaduna State has made a plea to President Muhammadu Buhari to rescue the remaining 16 abducted worshippers from their kidnappers.
The worshippers were abducted on May 7, 2023, at Bege Baptist Church, Masala along Buruku in Chikun Local Government area of Kaduna State.
While 24 of the 40 worshippers escaped from their abductors, nothing has been done about the remaining worshippers, CAN said.
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The Association Chairman, Rev John Hayab, appealed to Buhari to use the remaining less than 24 hours of his regime to rescue the remaining 16 worshippers.
Hayab further called on the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to prepare for his first rescue mission should President Buhari fail to rescue the remaining worshippers before his tenure expires on May 29.
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It was learnt that the affected families, who were mainly peasant farmers, were unable to meet the demands of the abductors.
He said:
“This is the third Sunday that over 40 worshippers were picked by bandits in Bege Baptist Church near Buruku where 24 later returned. The remaining 16 of them are still in the hands of their abductors.
“All efforts are yet to yield any positive result. As we speak, the bandits are still making huge demands, and the poor villagers do not have money to redeem their loved ones.
“They are demanding motorcycles and cash. These are poor farmers that could not have access to their farmlands for years and you kept their wives, children, and parents in the bush.
“The sad reality is that nobody in the position of authority is saying anything about these Nigerians. They are rather busy with what they can grab next. Some of the other 24 were released by the bandits either because they were weak and could no longer trek or they were left half-dead.
“The villagers whose loved ones are kidnapped are crying about where and how to get the ransom the bandits are asking for and we don’t know what to do either as an association.
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“Our appeal is that either the outgoing government can use the last 24 hours to rescue our people so they can come back home. If they fail, we are calling on the new government to develop a new move that will ensure these people don’t main in the forest within the next 48 hours.
“Let it be their first primary assignment to deliver the worshippers from Bege Baptist Church Madala who are still in the hands of their abductors. We cannot have a government and this evil will continue.
“CAN is seriously worried about this. CAN is concerned that instead of looking forward to what will happen in the next 24 hours, we are mourning because our members are in captivity.”
