‘They left us without food for four days’ abducted Bethel Baptist student reveals

One of the freed Bethel Baptist School students, Favour Silas has recounted some of the traumatic experiences the kidnapped students went through while in captivity.

Speaking in an interview wuth The Nigerian Tribune in Kaduna after they were freed, the Senior Secondary School (SSS3) student said they were beaten several times and made to sleep on cow dung.

“Sometimes, they left us without food for four days; we survived by wandering the bush looking for anything eatable. I never thought I would come out of that jungle alive; I thought we were going to perish,” she said. 

Recall that the terrorists had on July 8 attacked Bethel Baptist Secondary school?in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna state and abducted 121 students from their hostels. Fifteen more abducted students of the school regained freedom after 48 days in captivity. 

The Abductors in July had demanded a total of N60 million ransom. NewsWireNGR had reported that 38 out of the 121 that were abducted by the bandits were earlier rescued.

Earlier, the president of the Baptist Church, Reverend Israel Akanji, while handing over the 15 freed students to their parents, thanked them for their patience and understanding during the trial. 

He said though they were expecting to see all the remaining students freed, the 15 released was still a welcome development. 

Reverend Akanji said: “We are optimistic that in the coming days, the rest of the remaining 63 students under the care of the bandits will equally be freed.” 

The state chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Reverend John Hayab, disclosed this when he spoke with journalists in Kaduna on Sunday. Reverend Hayab said: “Fifteen more students were released on Saturday night and 65 students are still with the bandits.” 

Spokesperson for the police command in the state, ASP Mohammed Jalige, also confirmed the release of the students. Jalige, however, said that the police were not in the picture if ransom was paid by the parents before the students were released or not.

Below are photos of the 15 released students