A kidnapped Christian in Nigeria declined to be released so he could continue aiding a Muslim captive in her 80s, the elderly woman says on a video on social media.
The kidnapped woman, Hauwa Adamu Kahutu, is the mother of a well-known singer in Nigeria, Dauda Adamu Kahutu, also known as Rarara. She and the abducted Christian, Bala Timothy, were eventually released on July 17.
“In spite of being a Christian, he helped me in doing almost everything,” Hauwa Kahutu says in a video posted on Facebook by group of Hausa music artists associated with her son. “He brought water for me to do ablution whenever it was time for me to say my Islamic prayers. My eyes were covered and it was difficult for me to pray, but Bala Timothy would assist me during my prayers and other tasks.”
A ransom was paid for Timothy’s release two days after Hauwa Kahutu arrived at the criminals’ camp, she says in the video.
“When Bala Timothy was about to leave the camp, I was distressed and began to cry. I told Bala Timothy, ‘Are you leaving me here? How will I cope without you being around to help me as you’ve done?’ Bala Timothy on seeing me crying, asked our captors to allow him to stay back to help me. Our captors obliged his request and allowed him to remain in the camp despite being freed.”
Hauwa Kahutu was kidnapped by unknown assailants at about 1 a.m. on June 28 from her home in Kahutu town, Danja County in Katsina state, according to relatives. Islamic extremists in the area and other states of northern Nigeria have made kidnapping of moderate Muslims, Christians and other civilians commonplace.
“Bala Timothy, I thank you for being kind to me and helping me survive our ordeal in the hands of our captors,” she says, with her singer son beside her and Bala Timothy shown in a separate screen. “God bless you!”
In the video, Dauda Adamu Kahutu states that Timothy had been granted release.
“But he decided to remain in captivity to take care of Mama, seeing that she was too old to do anything for herself,” the singer says. “He was there with Mama for two weeks and four days, until Mama was released. They both left the bandits’ camp same day.”
Her captors had reportedly demanded a ransom of 900 million naira (567,230 USD) for her release.
Hauwa Kahutu concludes by telling Timothy in the video, “God bless you, I pray God grant you your heart desires, may He protect you from all forms evil adversities. God reward you abundantly. I pray that not even my enemy should experience the ordeal we faced while in captivity.”
In the 2024 WWL of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria was ranked No. 6, as it was in the previous year.
Nigeria remained the deadliest place in the world to follow Christ, with 4,118 people killed for their faith from Oct. 1, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2023, according to Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List (WWL) report. More kidnappings of Christians than in any other country also took place in Nigeria, with 3,300.
Nigeria was also the third highest country in number of attacks on churches and other Christian buildings such as hospitals, schools, and cemeteries, with 750, according to the report.
