CAN condemns Kaduna’s kidnapping of worshipers

The Kaduna State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has expressed worry about the recent kidnapping of 43 worshipers at the Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Kaduna community, which occurred despite recent success songs by security authorities.

Rev. John Joseph Hayab, the state chairman of CAN, expressed his regret that the victory songs should be reduced until the fight and the battle have been completely won while speaking with journalists in Kaduna on Tuesday. He emphasized that Nigerians do not need to sing songs of victory because the criminals are still moving around and getting their way.

Security personnel should pursue the culprits until the worshippers are freed and brought back to their homes in safety, according to Hayab, who also serves as the Vice President of CAN in Abuja and 19 Northern states.

He urged churchgoers to take precautions to protect their safety when attending services rather than simply entering their church and assuming everything is fine.

He bemoaned, “The kidnapping of worshippers who went to participate in the All Night Worship of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Kurmin Juwa of Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, came to us as, I won’t say shock but disappointing. Kurmin Juwa is a community just behind the market at Kasuwan Magani. We are returning to this tragic scenario just when we think progress is being made.

Rev. Hayab said that on that fatal night, a Wednesday, the robbers abducted 57 people; some of them managed to flee on foot. He claimed that at the moment, 43 people are still with the criminals, who are demanding a staggering 200 million dollars.

Rev. Hayab contends that it is too soon for both Nigerians and the security to jump to conclusions and issue statements, and caution is advised. He advises Nigerians to continue carrying out the war to the best of their abilities until victory is guaranteed because the enemies of the people and the enemies of the state are still planning to inflict harm.

As a church, he said, they agreed to keep providing whatever assistance they are able to in letting the security agencies know what they know so that they can deal with the situation. He also advised Nigerians to use more caution in handling the situation, particularly given the current state of affairs.

He emphasized that the victory songs should be reduced until the fight and the battle are decisively won, pointing out that Nigerians do not need to sing songs of victory because these criminals are still roaming free and getting their way because 57 people or 43 people represent a whole community rather than just three individuals.

He stated that the church is saddened by it and completely condemns it, while also pleading with and urging the government to act quickly to prevent further incidents of this nature. He claimed that the more incidents of this nature occur, the more people become fearful, confused, and skeptical of future events.

He asked Christians to exercise caution, stating that if a church has 100 members, 30 additional people may be stationed there as security.