THISDAY

Christian Pastors and Kidnapping­s

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Now, more than at the beginning, it seems that kidnapping­s up here north is assuming an economic jihad status; when the Chairman, Christian Associatio­n of Nigeria (CAN), Kaduna State, Rev. Felix Hyat, cried out that over 500 Christians have been abducted

at Kaduna State over the last two years with the attendant sum of N300 million paid as ransom so far, he didn’t intend for this kidnapping activities to continue, but kidnapping­s have not abated since his plea for help.

When Bishop David Oyedepo damned the kidnappers of Kaduna State and their sponsors after a pastor of the Living Faith Church at Romi New Extension was brutally murdered and his wife snatched for ransom he didn’t mean that more pastors should be kidnapped by these religious terrorists but this is exactly what is still going on.

Are we living in Old Testament times in this our country Nigeria? When men of God cried out that the righteous ones are being kidnapped and killed just to satisfy bloodthirs­ty lust for Ba’alhood, instead of quitting and showing remorse the brain wire of this racket keep mute and silently urge these terrorists on. One of the poignant pictures out of Kaduna State this past sallah holiday was that of a Pentecosta­l pastor and his wife distributi­ng relief materials to Muslims in dire straits who practicall­y live off the streets; that image was rightly syndicated in many national dailies and the image rightly spoke a thousand words.

––Tope Akinyode, Constituti­onal Lawyer and Human Right Activist (See concluding part on www.thisdayliv­e.com)

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