By Richard Elesho
All but one of the 121 students kidnapped from Bethel Baptist High School, Kaduna have been released and reunited with their families.
The outstanding student, who incidentally is the youngest of the victims, has refused to return home. Instead he has thus far, preferred to remain in captivity with the gunmen.
Even more worrisome, the boy’s decision has added more pains to the burden of the church and the school, as a person who was sent to deliver ransom for his freedom, has ended up being seized by the gunmen.
The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN and members of the embattled school community who have been thrown into utter confusion and pain over the latest development, have called on the kidnappers to vomit the victims.
CAN Chairman in Kaduna State, Rev. John Hayab, who has been in the vanguard of efforts to rescue the victims made these known to the media.
He said “the remaining pupil, the youngest of the abductees, rejected an offer of freedom from the terrorists.
“The remaining student preferred to remain with the bandits; it puzzled the entire members of the Baptist family and indeed, CAN. The bandits were said to be showering the boy with gifts each time they went out and came back from operations, thereby, making him reject the offer of freedom.
“Only one pupil of the Bethel Baptist High School is remaining with the terrorists. The reason is that this young boy – because we have to be clear with the story so that we don’t get misquoted – is the smallest among them.
“I think the kidnappers were smart. They worked and changed his mind that he even said he wants to stay with them. They gave him meat, good things. Anytime they go out and come back, they pick him among the rest and gave him so many things and then he starts acting funny.
“If they tell him to go home, he would say he was not going and gave some flimsy excuses that his parents used to beat him at home. But we also made findings and we don’t want to expose his parents to any noise but that is what he said. We are confused too.
“But I understand they are playing mind games with him by giving him gifts and convincing him to talk that way. But last week, they asked us to bring some money to come and take him. The person who took the money to them was kidnapped. The person is with them as I speak now.
“So, it’s a very complicated situation that we are praying and managing with care. The man who has been helping us to deliver the money all this while went to deliver the money to free this boy; they were confusing and they kidnapped him. So, the whole thing is taking a different dimension and we need to be careful,” Hayab said.
It would be recalled that on 5 July, 2021, gunmen invaded the school along the Kaduna/ Abuja highway and whisked 121 students away. They have been releasing the victims in batches, after each ransom collection. Hayab renewed his call on government to rescue the remaining victims and other abducted persons across the country.