Two church pastors kidnapped on Dec. 29 in northeastern Nigeria were released on Sunday (Jan. 5), Church of the Brethren in Nigeria (EYN) leaders said.
The Rev. James Kwayang and the Rev. Ishaku Chiwar of the EYN (Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria) were kidnapped by terrorists from church premises in Mbila-Malibu town, Song County, Adamawa state, said the Rev. Daniel Mbaya, EYN president in a statement from the denomination spokesman Mbursa Jinatu.
“As we celebrate the safe return of these two dedicated servants of God, we are reminded of the power of collective prayer and support,” Mbaya said, adding that church leaders expressed appreciation for the prayers of members of the church and other Christians.
EYN leaders had requested fervent prayers for God’s intervention in the rescue of the two pastors, with Mbaya previously stating, “We ask everyone, including the EYN family, to pray for the safe and quick return of these men of God. This has deeply shaken our community, and we need your prayers and support during this hard time.”
Terms of their release were not disclosed.
Suleiman Nguroje, superintendent of police and spokesman for the Adamawa State Police in a statement on Monday (Jan. 6) confirmed the release of the pastors.
EYN is the largest national body of the Church of the Brethren in the world, according to the denomination’s website. Before attacks by Islamic extremist militants from Boko Haram and other terrorists, EYN had nearly 1 million people attending services.
Kidnappings of Christians and others have become commonplace in Nigeria, including the abduction of at least five Christians in Nasarawa state in December.
More kidnappings of Christians than in any other country also took place in Nigeria last year, with 3,300, according to Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List (WWL) report. Nigeria remained the deadliest place in the world to follow Christ, with 4,118 people killed for their faith from Oct. 1, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2023.
Nigeria was also the third highest country in number of attacks on churches and other Christian buildings such as hospitals, schools, and cemeteries, with 750, according to the WWL report.
In the 2024 WWL of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria was ranked No. 6, as it was in the previous year.
Many kidnappings are carried out in attacks by Muslim Fulani herdsmen. Numbering in the millions across Nigeria and the Sahel, predominantly Muslim Fulani comprise hundreds of clans of many different lineages who do not hold extremist views, but some Fulani do adhere to radical Islamist ideology, the United Kingdom’s All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom or Belief (APPG) noted in a 2020 report.
“They adopt a comparable strategy to Boko Haram and ISWAP and demonstrate a clear intent to target Christians and potent symbols of Christian identity,” the APPG report states.
Christian leaders in Nigeria have said they believe herdsmen attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt are inspired by their desire to forcefully take over Christians’ lands and impose Islam as desertification has made it difficult for them to sustain their herds.
