Quick Summary
- Samaritan’s Purse pilot told hijacker, ‘God loves him’ during attempted takeover.
- Pilot attempted to dissuade hijacker, who threatened to kill him.
- Hijacker, identified as Yasir Mohammed Yusuf, was taken into custody after the plane landed safely.
The pilot of a Samaritan’s Purse plane that was recently hijacked told the attempted hijacker that God loves him, according to the Evangelical nonprofit’s CEO, the Rev. Franklin Graham.
Graham, who serves as president of Samaritan’s Purse, spoke with ABC 45 last week about the Dec. 2 hijacking of a Cessna Grand Caravan airplane in Africa carrying aid to South Sudan.
Graham talked with the pilot after the incident, who described what it was like when the individual who snuck on board tried to take over the airplane. Graham said the pilot made an effort to “try to convince him not to do this, but the guy said ‘I’m going to kill you and I’m going to count to three and I’m going to kill you.'”
“So, the pilot realized this isn’t going to turn out well,” said Graham. “So, [the pilot said] I’m just going to tell him that God loves him. The guy surrendered, and so we are just grateful.”
“We work in dangerous parts of the world; that’s part of it.”
Traveling to Maiwut, South Sudan, the plane was en route to deliver medicine to a mobile medical unit operated by Samaritan’s Purse when it was hijacked.
At the time, the plane was carrying a pilot and a Samaritan’s Purse staff member. The plane eventually landed in Wau, South Sudan, where the National Security Service of South Sudan took the hijacker into custody.
“We praise God that no one was seriously injured, and we are grateful to the security forces for their support and swift action on the ground to resolve the situation and bring a safe outcome,” Samaritan’s Purse said in a statement.
The hijacker was identified as Yasir Mohammed Yusuf, reports The Associated Press. He is a resident of the Abyei Administrative Area, an oil-rich region between South Sudan and Sudan.
While an official motive has yet to be disclosed, Yusuf reportedly wanted the plane to take him to the nearby African country of Chad.
Last month, a plane carrying two tons of Samaritan’s Purse supplies from the South Sudan capital, Juba, to people impacted by recent flooding crashed, killing all three people on board.
Operated by Nari Air, the plane crashed about 12 miles from the Leer Airstrip in Leer County, located near the border with Sudan, from which South Sudan gained independence in 2011.
“Our team has reached the crash site, and it is with deep sadness that I share the confirmation that all three crew members have passed away,” Bikram Rai, Samaritan’s Purse deputy director in South Sudan, told Reuters.
