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From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Rev Dr Israel Akanji, President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC), has called on all members of the Baptist family in Nigeria and other countries and well-meaning Nigerians to unite in prayer for the rescue of students of Bethel Baptist High School in Damishi, Kaduna, who were abducted on Monday, as well as other people in similar situations.
He made the call in a statement which he made available to reporters in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Tuesday.
Akanji stated that 28 students have been rescued and reunited with their families, while 125 students are still being held hostage by their bandit abductors.
The statement read in part:
‘We received a distress call in the early hours of Monday, 5th July 2021, that bandits had attacked Bethel Baptist High School, Damishi, Kaduna. We immediately contacted security operatives and mobilised other stakeholders for a rescue mission.
‘To the glory of God, 28 students have been re-united with their families, while 125 students are yet to be accounted for.
‘We have been reliably informed that search and rescue operations are ongoing, involving the Nigeria Army, the Nigeria Air Force and other security agencies and we strongly believe that, by the grace of God, these students will safely return to their parents soon.
‘The situation in which we have found ourselves is indeed pathetic, particularly for the parents of the kidnapped students and the school community. We feel their pain and our prayer is that God Almighty will arise and intervene in this unfortunate incident.
‘We commend the efforts of the Executive Governor of the state, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, his Commissioners and security operatives in the state, who acted swiftly upon receiving our report and who are working closely together and urge them not to leave any stone unturned to rescue all the students still in the hands of the bandits.
‘We also commiserate with the families of the two gallant soldiers of the Nigeria Army who lost their lives while trying to protect the school and appreciate the vigilante group, who put in much effort to defend the school, although they were over-powered.
‘Our trust is in God and I urge all parents to remain calm and keep faith in God for there is nothing He cannot do. I appeal to the Federal and State Governments to intensify their efforts to ensure total discontinuation of this dangerous, life-threatening and embarrassing trend in our country.
‘I call on all members of the Baptist family both within and outside the country and all well-meaning Nigerians to unite in prayer for the rescue of these children and other people in similar situations.’
