By Diana Chandler
Baptist Press
KADUNA, Nigeria — About 125 students kidnapped from a Baptist church school in northern Nigeria are especially in danger because of their Christianity and the unwillingness of local authorities to pay a ransom, a leading persecution watchdog group told Baptist Press.
“There have been many kidnappings of school children over the past few years,” said Nathan Johnson, International Christian Concern’s (ICC) regional manager for Africa. “In this case it is a Baptist school, so most of those children, the vast majority of those children will be Christian.
“Our concern right now is those Christian students will not be returned as easily, especially because (Nasir Ahmad) el-Rufai, the current governor of Kaduna State said he won’t pay for ransom for kidnappings.”
Muslim Fulani terrorists or loosely organized bandits are suspected in the attack by an estimated 70 gunmen on the Bethel Baptist Church school in the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna state early Monday (July 5), according to many news reports. No ransom had been requested as of today (July 7).
Whether the kidnapping was conducted by Fulani, bandits or terrorists, Christian Association of Nigeria President Samson Olasupo Ayokunle told Christianity Today, “Christians in Kaduna State have suffered too much from the hands of their attackers.”
As many as 179 children are estimated to have been kidnapped, but Johnson said his best sources indicate 153 were abducted, 28 escaped or were quickly recovered and 125 remain in bondage. [Read more…]