Nigerian church leader kidnapped, hostage video released
by Jordan Hilger, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Islamic extremists kidnapped a leader of the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria on January 2, a video appearing a few days later of the pastor expressing his faith in God and asking for release.
Lawan Andimi was kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists, who recently swore allegiance to Islamic State, when militants invaded Michika and Bassa communities the day after New Year’s, though most of the militants were killed by the Nigerian army, which commandeered one of their vehicles.
“I have never been discouraged, because all conditions that one finds himself is in the hands of God – God who made them to take care of me and to leave [me with] my life,” Pastor Andimi said in the video, revealing that his captors had supplied him with decent living conditions.
The Rev. Sansom Ayokunle, president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said on Monday “our God who delivered the people of Israel from the Egyptian bondage will surely deliver them,” referring to the large number of Nigerian Christians who have been kidnapped and held for ransom by Muslim Fulani herders and Boko Haram terrorists in recent months.
Nigeria has become one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a Christian, with a new report from the UK-based Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust has found that over 1,000 Christians were killed there by Islamic terrorists in 2019 alone.