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Kidnap

• Raymond Koh's Wife Demands Answers

  

  Pastor Raymond Koh was no stranger to persecution when he was abducted off the streets of Malaysia on February 13th, 2017. The incident was caught on security cameras and, although no information about Pastor Raymond's captors has ever been released by the authorities, it is believed that government security forces were responsible for the incident. Video footage of the abduction is available here. For previously published reports about the missing pastor, see this list.

• Hundreds Rescued from Boko Haram Captivity

  

  On May 20th, the Nigerian military reported that 350 captives had been recovered from Boko Haram bases in the Sambisa Forest, a well-known enclave for the militant group in eastern Nigeria. Some of the captors were killed during the military operation. All of the rescued former hostages were taken to the Borno state government house where they will be cared for until they can safely return to their homes.

• Priest Fatally Tortured; Others Facing Deportation

  

  Members of the Russian occupation forces seized Father Stepan Podolchak on February 13th. The Christian leader had been serving as the abbot of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in Kalanchak, a village located within the Russian-occupied Kherson Region. Taking him away with a bag over his head, the soldiers insisted that he go with them for questioning. Two days later, Father Stepan's battered body was found on the village street. Some reports state that he had also suffered a bullet wound to the head. 

• Two Christian Brothers Forcibly Converted

  

  Two Christian brothers, Azam and Nadeem George Masih, were reportedly kidnapped on January 22nd before being beaten and forced to recite an Islamic conversion creed. The assailants recorded a video statement in which the brothers were forced to state that they had converted to Islam of their own free will.

• Parents Accused in Kidnapping Case

  

  In a situation that has become far too common in Pakistan, a young Christian girl was abducted on August 22nd and then forcibly converted to Islam and married against her will to the abductor. The victim, Samreen Aftab, was a ninth-grade student at a school in Jaranwala where her father is employed as the principal. According to her father, Aftab Joseph, she was abducted by a Muslim man named Muhammad Amir.

• Leah Sharibu's Parents Respond to Rumours

  

  As new rumours circulate about the fate of Leah Sharibu, the parents of this young Christian woman are calling for her release from captivity. While awaiting this hopeful outcome, they ask for continued prayers on behalf of their abducted daughter. Over five years ago, Leah was kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists, along with fellow students from a school in Dapchi, Nigeria. While many of the students were eventually released, Leah was retained in captivity for refusing to renounce her faith in Christ. Click here for more details. (Additional reports on her situation are available at our country report.)

• Dozens of Christians Kidnapped, Others Killed

  

  Violence against Christians continues unabated in many areas of Nigeria, as recently published reports indicate that militants are increasingly invading villages to kill, injure and kidnap dozens of believers – destroying their homes and church buildings in the process. While the kidnappings are frequently financially motivated, Christians are often the primary targets of radical Islamists' attacks. For further details on how Christians are being affected by the ongoing violence in Nigeria, go to our country report.

• More Chibok Girls Rescued

  

  In 2014, a secondary school in the predominantly Christian town of Chibok, Borno State, was attacked by members of the militant Islamic group, Boko Haram. During the raid, 276 girls were kidnapped. (For details on the initial attack, go to this report.)In the nine years since that time, some of the girls have been released, while others either managed to escape or were rescued by governmental forces. Although the exact number of students who remain missing is unknown, it is estimated that approximately 100 of them are still in captivity.

• Teen Girl Kidnapped at Gunpoint

  

  A Christian teenager named Sehar was kidnapped from her home in Okaro, Punjab, on April 23rd. At last report, police were continuing to search for her, along with the three Muslim men responsible for the abduction.
  
  The 13-year-old girl worked at a local brick kiln, along with 11 of her siblings, to help support the family, since their elderly father is ill and unable to work. According to her brother Irfan, the three men on motorcycles kidnapped Sehar from her home at gunpoint and fled. One of the captors was recognized as Allah Rakha, who also worked at the kiln.

• Father of Kidnapped Child Murdered

  

  On March 30th, the Persecution & Prayer Alert reported on a 12-year-old girl who had been kidnapped and, after being recovered, was placed in a women's shelter rather than being returned to her father. Young Hoorab Masih had been abducted by two local shopkeepers in December and then forced to convert to Islam and marry one of her kidnappers. For more details on the incident, see this page.

• Court Sends Child Bride to Shelter

  

  Hoorab Masih went missing on December 28th after she failed to return from grocery shopping. It was soon discovered that the 12-year-old had been kidnapped by a local shopkeeper, Muhammad Mustafa, and his co-worker, Muhammad Usman, who then forcibly converted the Christian girl to Islam. A few days later, Hoorab was found in a women's shelter after the arrests of Mustafa and Usman. However, when the two men were released on bail, they disappeared, along with Hoorab.

• Five Years of Captivity for Leah Sharibu

  

  In February 2018, Boko Haram militants raided a girls' school in Dapchi, Yobe State, kidnapping 110 students. A month later, it was reported that five of the schoolgirls had died in captivity and all but one of the surviving students were released. The remaining victim, Leah Sharibu, continued to be held captive because she refused to renounce her Christian faith and convert to Islam (see this report). Since that time, various reports have surfaced indicating that Leah is still alive. A report in May 2021 stated that she was forced into marriage and had just given birth to a second child (read more).

• Teenager Forcibly Married to 60-Year-Old Man

  

  Sitara Arif, a 15-year-old Christian girl, was kidnapped on December 15th in Faisalabad, Pakistan. Abducted by the husband of her employer, she was forcibly converted to Islam and then married to her captor. It took almost two months for police to finally register a case against Rana Tayyab, despite repeated pleas from the girl's family.

• 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).