Tags

Kidnap

• Parents' Appeal for Custody Denied

  

  A Christian family in Rawalpindi, a city located in the Pakistani state of Punjab, are anxiously waiting for the safe return of their 13-year-old daughter, nearly four months after her abduction. Zarvia Pervaiz was kidnapped, forcibly converted and married in April to a man the family had formerly trusted.

• More Chibok School Hostages Freed!

  

  Eight years ago, over 200 girls were abducted from a secondary school in Chibok, Nigeria, and held hostage by Boko Haram, a militant Islamic group that is fiercely opposed to what they define as "Western education." Over the years, a number of the former schoolgirls managed to escape, and more than 100 others have been freed through negotiations. Unfortunately, approximately 100 of the seized students were still missing.

• Attacks Resulting in Fatalities and Kidnappings

  

  More than 20 Christians lost their lives in attacks that took place recently in Nigeria's Taraba State during the first half of August. In one such incident, the St. Agnes Catholic Church in the village of Dinya was raided on August 14th. At the time of the attack, a spiritual teacher working for the church was kidnapped by the perpetrators. According to the parish priest, Rev. Lawrence Awua, the assailants entered the building at around 10 p.m. and began shooting sporadically. The church's teacher, Gidion Tsehemba, heard the noise and came to investigate, which led to his abduction.

• Gunmen Kill Pastor's Sons and Abduct Daughter

  

  Gunmen broke into the home of Pastor Daniel Umaru in Njairi, Adamawa State, during the early morning hours of July 6th. The results of the attack were devastating to the family. While Pastor Daniel survived the gunshot wound, his two sons were killed during the attack, and his 13-year-old daughter, Ijagla, was abducted. The pastor's wife was left in a state of unconsciousness due to the shock.

• Two Teenage Girls Recently Kidnapped

  

  After more than two weeks of apparent investigative searching, police have been unable to find two Christian girls who were kidnapped on March 7th from the Christian colony of Ghaziabad Aorangi Town which is located within the capital city of Karachi. A Christian lawyer involved in the case stated that, because the girls are Christians and their families are poor, the police have shown little interest in finding them. She asserted, "Police often side with the criminals, while courts bring Sharia law into consideration and decide these cases in favour of the kidnappers."

• Young Christian Woman Kidnapped

  

  Two years ago, Abida Mukhtar's husband died of a heart attack. Finding herself in need of assistance with necessary adjustments regarding his government pension, the grieving Christian widow turned to a Muslim neighbour, Nisar Jogi, who claimed that he could help expedite the process.

• Leah Still in Captivity After Four Years

  

  February 19th marked the fourth anniversary of the abduction of Leah Sharibu, a Nigerian schoolgirl who was kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists when she was only 14 years old. Originally, 110 students were captured during the raid. Five died following the attack and, after negotiations, all remaining students were released except for Leah. According to reports from other students, the young teen continued to be held captive because she refused to renounce her Christian faith and convert to Islam (see this report).

• Invasion of Christian Residence Results in Abduction and Fatality

  

  On the night of February 6th, armed assailants entered the parish residence of St. Monica's Catholic Church in the Ikulu Pari Parish of Kaduna State. During the invasion, a kitchen chef named Sati Musa was killed; and the parish priest, Joseph Danjuma Shekari, was abducted – the latter incident presumably motivated by the perpetrators for the purpose of demanding ransom.

• Fifth Anniversary of Pastor Raymond Koh's Disappearance

  

  On February 13th, 2017, surveillance cameras captured Pastor Raymond Koh being forced to bring his vehicle to a sudden stop before masked men abducted him in an operation that appeared to be executed with military precision. The abducted pastor has not been seen nor heard from since the incident. Under suspicion of state police for attempting to convert ethnic Malays to Christianity, Pastor Raymond and his wife Susanna received death threats prior to the incident.

• Teenager Safely Returns Home

  

  In October 2020, Arzoo Raja was abducted from her family home in Pakistan, forced to convert to Islam, and then married against her will to the perpetrator of the crime – all this occurring when she was only at the age of 13. Her concerned Christian parents took legal action against her abductor and, ultimately, the courts nullified the young teen's marriage because of her age. However, due to the coercion and pressure she continued to receive from her kidnapper and others, Arzoo initially did not want to return home. So, instead, she was placed in a shelter. While any access to the attacker was forbidden, visits with her family and others were permitted only when requested by Arzoo. Previously posted information on this case is available here.