A University of Jos graduate has recounted a harrowing abduction ordeal in which fear forced him to deny his faith while held by suspected kidnappers.
John Arum Azi told worshippers during a church testimony that he was lured by what he believed was a welding job, traveled for the appointment, and was instead seized by armed men. He said he was taken to a forest hideout in Zamfara State and kept there for 11 days.
“They were doing me some interview, asking me, ‘Am I Arna? Am I Christian?’” Azi said, describing how the captors repeatedly fired gunshots around the camp and questioned him about his religion. “To be honest, because I’m scared of death… they were shooting anyhow. So, I told them I’m pagan.”
He said the deception did not last. During a savage beating, Azi involuntarily cried out the name of Jesus, a moment that exposed his earlier lie. “They beat me mercilessly to the extent that I thought I could not survive it,” he recalled. “During the beating, I suddenly shouted ‘Jesus.’ I don’t even know when I shouted it.”
After hearing him call Jesus, the captors confronted him about denying his faith. Azi said he then surrendered the truth: “They were like, ‘Jesus?’ So at that moment, I just confessed. I told them if they will kill me, they should kill me, I’m a Christian.” He added that the kidnappers began referring to him as “Pastor” for the remainder of his captivity.
Azi said prayer became his main source of strength while detained. “The prayer I kept praying there was, ‘Oh our Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fire of hell, lead all souls to heaven,’” he said.
He explained that he had traveled from Jos to Kaduna after receiving what he believed was a legitimate job offer, only to find it was a trap. His release came after negotiations and the payment of a ransom involving family members and other sympathisers.
Separately, military authorities said troops of Operation HADIN KAI repelled a coordinated terrorist attack on Mallam Fatori in the Northeast, reporting that more than 80 insurgents, including several senior commanders, were neutralised after hours of fighting when armed fighters attempted to breach troop positions in Sector 3.
