Posted on 11/17/2023 1:24:59 PM PST by Morgana
ABUJA, Nigeria A pastor kidnapped on Saturday (Nov. 11) in Nigeria’s central state of Kogi was killed on Tuesday (Nov. 14) after church members paid a ransom for his release, sources said.
The Rev. David Musa of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in the Obajana area, Lokoja County, had been kidnapped from his farm by armed terrorists, said church member John Emmanuel.
“With a heavy heart, I want to inform you that an evil act has taken place. My pastor, Rev. David Musa of ECWA Church, Obajana, who was kidnapped on Saturday, 11 November, while he was on his farm, has been killed by his terrorist captors after they collected the ransom they demanded,” Emmanuel said in a text message to Morning Star News. “Kindly pray for the family and the church, the ECWA Obajana Local Church Board, and the ECWA church denomination at large.”
Church members said the terrorists had demanded 20 million naira (US$23,676) but had accepted 1 million naira (US$1,184).
“Rev. Musa was killed by the terrorists after they were paid a ransom of 1 million naira by the church leadership,” church member Stephen Danladi told Morning Star News in a text message. “This is because the church was unable to raise the 20 million naira demanded by the terrorists.”
The kidnappers had agreed to accept 1 million naira as ransom before two church members went to recover the pastor, said a church member identified only as Mary, according to local news media.
After the kidnappers told the church members to take Pastor Musa and leave, they called the pastor to return and shot him dead as he was coming back, she said.
The ECWA Obajana District Church Council confirmed the abduction and killing of Pastor Musa.
“With a heavy heart but in total submission to the will of God, we write to inform you that the abductors of our brother, Pastor Musa David, have killed him after collecting a ransom of 1 million naira on the night of Tuesday, 14 November,” the council said in a statement. “Let our prayers be with the family, the church, and the District Church Council in this trying moment.”
Church member Danladi said Christians had prayed for his release.
“We have accepted his demise in good faith as Christians, believing that this is within the sovereign will of Christ,” Danladi told Morning Star News. “Let us continue to pray for his family and the church at large.”
William Ovye Aya, spokesman for the Kogi State Police Command, on Thursday (Nov. 16) confirmed the kidnapping and killing of the pastor.
“We have received a report from ECWA about the incident, and the command has begun an investigation into it,” Aya told Morning Star News. “We want to assure the church that those behind the killing of Pastor Musa will be arrested and prosecuted.”
In 2021, a Christian kidnapped in Kogi state was killed in a rescue operation on Oct. 2, the same day three other Christians were killed in another attack in the state.
Nigeria led the world in Christians killed for their faith in 2022, with 5,014, according to Open Doors’ 2023 World Watch List (WWL) report. It also led the world in Christians abducted (4,726), sexually assaulted or harassed, forcibly married, or physically or mentally abused, and it had the most homes and businesses attacked for faith-based reasons. As in the previous year, Nigeria had the second most church attacks and internally displaced people.
In the 2023 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria jumped to sixth place, its highest ranking ever, from No. 7 the previous year.
“Militants from the Fulani, Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and others conduct raids on Christian communities, killing, maiming, raping and kidnapping for ransom or sexual slavery,” the WWL report noted. “This year has also seen this violence spill over into the Christian-majority south of the nation… Nigeria’s government continues to deny this is religious persecution, so violations of Christians’ rights are carried out with impunity.”
Isn’t it stunning how silent the media....all of them....are on the massacre of Christians in Africa by islamists? I’ll bet they would stand up and take notice if the poor Christians started to defend themselves.
It’s happening all over the world yet not a peep from the lame stream media.
Stunning. Nigeria is not on my bucket list.
What countries, in our world, are worse than Nigeria?
There are six countries that are worse?
I’ll just eliminate Africa from my list. I have been to Cape Town, South Africa, that’s enough,
I don’t hear anything from the good media either. Shame.
“What countries, in our world, are worse than Nigeria?”
Hold my beer I’m not done posting
Hey, give them a break. It’s the Religion of Peace’s hobby to kill Christians
Thanks for posting.
Typical smooth-brain islamist decision: killing a hostage after receiving the demanded ransom is a good way to convince everyone that paying the ransom is pointless. So you got your money this time, but any future ransoms are that much more dubious as a result.
Low-ball Nigerian kidnappers, win stupid prizes.
And they’re coming to a neighborhood near you.
Read about this today. RIP
How was Cape Town ? Did you visit Kruger (which is on the other side of ZA) ?
Meanwhile, they had to change the name of the church from:
Evangelical Church Winning All to:
Evangelical Church Winning Some & Losing Some
Nevermind Nigeria. When does Ukraine get another billion?
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