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Kaduna State Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has confirmed the release of Oluwakemi Omolewa, widow of slain resident pastor of Living Faith Church, Kaduna. But this was not done without a payment of ransom which necessitated her release Thursday night.
Last Sunday, suspected bandits attacked Omolewa and her family along Kaduna-Abuja road, killing Jeremiah, the husband of the abducted woman.
According to Joseph Hayab, Kaduna state chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), deaconess Omolewa’s case is the latest of ransom paid by the association
“Sadly, when we raised alarmed that our people are being kidnapped, someone, instead of apologising to us and tell us that they have not done well, let’s work together to do well, they will go and sponsor some faceless young boys who are jobless and give them money to insult us,” he said.
“The recent alarm I raised about the killing of the late Omolewa and the abduction of his wife last Sunday, the next thing I saw (on Facebook), was a write up and a caricature of myself that I was speaking for PDP. And I asked this question; are those Christians kidnapped, PDP members?
“Let’s not politicise issues that affect people’s lives. I don’t have PDP card, but even if I have, is that a crime in Nigeria?
‘’Even the APC in Kaduna state, when they wanted to be governor, they wrote me a letter seeking for my blessing and they know that we supported the governor to be elected during his first term. Should I be accused of being PDP member, just because I told them that something is wrong?
“That will not deter the church from speaking out the truth. If this money we have been paying to kidnappers were to be channelled, we would have helped government in solving some of the problems in the educational and health sectors by investing in those sectors.
“Sadly, today they are allowing evil people to impoverish us. What is politics in me telling you that my people are suffering and dying? What is politics in telling you that these kidnappers should be arrested?
“They are spending our money on our security but we are still suffering…They are now talking about blackmailing us, we will call the church to take action to stop this evil. We will not continue to have our people being abducted and killed. Our people cannot continue to live in fear, even in their homes.
“Even the United Nations that talks about peace will not allow evil to go around the world. So blackmailing us will not stop us from crying that our people are being kidnapped and they are suffering and nothing is being done.
“Blackmail and character assassination, just to cover up for your inability to secure us, will not address the problem.”
