Pastor Held in Captivity by Militant Islamist Group Is Finally Released
Pastor Bulus Yakuru of the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria has just been released by his abductors after being held since December 24, 2020, CBN News reports.
Yakuru was held by the Abubakar Shekau-led faction of Boko Haram, which is a militant group that has declared allegiance with ISIS. HumAngle further reports that the pastor was being held until a deadline which was just hours away from expiring.
Yakaru was abducted when Boko Haram attacked his village, Pemi, just before Christmas. Seven were killed in the attack. Boko Haram also burned down a church and several houses during the attack. CNN reports there are 6 other people who were abducted. As of now, it is not known for sure what happened to them.
This was after pleading for the governor of Nigeria to intervene and be rescued for weeks. “I’m calling on President Muhammadu Buhari and the governor of Borno to help me because I have been given a one-week ultimatum today, Feb. 24. If you want me alive, I beg you in your capacity as president, the governor, and our local government chairman to save me from this suffering,” Yakaru reportedly said in a video statement.
Yakaru also called for prayer during this time, pleading, “Please pray for me. Today is the last day I will have the opportunity to call on you in your capacity as my parents and relatives in the country. Anyone who has the intention should help and save me. Please release me from this pain.”
The government responded to Yakaru’s plea and he was freed just before the deadline.
Boko Haram also took credit for kidnapping 300 schoolboys in Northwest Nigeria in December. The militant group has also been attacking Chibok, an area in Nigeria, every two weeks, and the chairman of the Chibk community, Nkeki Mutah, told CNN that “They want to wipe Chibok out from the surface of the Earth.”
Photo courtesy: Joshua Oluwagbemiga/Unsplash
John Paluska has been a contributor for Christian Headlines since 2016 and is the founder of The Daily Fodder, a news outlet he relaunched in 2019 as a response to the constant distribution of fake news.
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