Former Bethel Baptist High School student Philip Nazareth has provided explanations for why he and his other prisoners did not try to flee during their 2021 kidnapping by bandits, according to Brekete Family.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
Speaking in an interview with Brekete Family, Nazareth explained that he and about five of his colleagues had been contemplating an escape plan. However, the bandits warned them of the dangers lurking in the bush. He stated that the captors told them that if they tried to escape, they might either be killed by wild animals, such as hyenas—which the students had actually seen in the area—die of hunger, or be kidnapped by another group of bandits.
Nazareth said: “I and about five other students were planning on escaping. The bandits told us it is either we get killed by a wild animal, which is true because we saw a hyena in the bush, or we die of hunger, or we get kidnapped by another kidnapper. Sometimes, we go to the bush and hunt for some things like rabbits and alligators (sic).”
His statement sheds light on the psychological and physical threats that kept the abducted students from attempting to flee despite their desperate situation. The Bethel Baptist High School abduction, which occurred in July 2021 in Kaduna State, was one of several mass kidnappings of students by armed groups in Nigeria, further highlighting the insecurity in parts of the country.
Nazareth’s interview provides a rare firsthand account of what the abducted students endured during their captivity, revealing how fear, hunger, and the presence of dangerous wildlife contributed to their decision to remain with the kidnappers rather than risk a potentially deadly escape attempt.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
