After twenty days in captivity,twenty eight students of Bethel Baptist School on Sunday regained their freedom.
Their release comes after undisclosed sums of money was paid as ransom by their parents.
The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Rev. John Joseph Hayab first hinted newsmen in Kaduna on the release of the students
Bandits had invaded the school on July 5,2021 abducting 121 students in an operation that resulted in the killing of two security operatives
So far,31 students have regained their freedom while 90 are still in the kidnappers den.
However,speaking on how the students were released later on,,Rev Israel Akanji , President Baptist Convention, said the church only engaged in what it believed was the best approach towards getting the freedom of the children and did not pay any ransom for their release.
” The Children of today that were released , they were just released by the people who abducted them. They kept them in a place and we went there and found the children there.and picked them in our vehicles and brought them.
” We as a Church we do not believe in ransom and we will not pay ransom as a church because it is not right to go and pay people what is wrong.”.
Most of the students were seen limping and crying suggesting they had gone through hard times in the hands of their abductors.
Bandits are currently having a field day in the country as hundreds of helpless Nigerians particularly school children are abducted , and reportedly made to pass through the worse forms of inhumane treatment including rape and sodomy.
The bandits storm communities with sophisticated weapons and kidnap people unchallenged, and where security agents try to repel attack,they are gunned down by the criminals
The activities of the bandits have drawn reactions from several Nigerians who believed that the time had come for the federal government to brand them as terrorists.
Nigerians at home and in the diaspora wandered why some freedom agitators in some parts of the country would be branded terrorists while the government simply looked away in activities of. bandits.
Sonia a Nigerian based in the USA who spoke with current matters at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja asked the federal government to either brand bandits as terrorists or free those it arrested for terroism saying what is good for the goose is good for the gander
” This government has to do things right. Is it right to arrest people who are simply want freedom for their people? It is not right to regard such people as terrorists, declare them wanted and even arrest them while those who go to villages around the country, kidnap people,molest wonen, school children and even kill them. This is unfair , what is good for the goose is good for the gander” she remarked.
