I told you about the most recent mass abduction of students in Nigeria last week ...

Now, Reuters reports:

“Gunmen who kidnapped 286 students and staff from a school in northern Nigeria last week have demanded a total of 1 billion naira ($620,432) for their release, a spokesman for the families of the hostages and a local councillor [said].”

And perhaps worst of all, adding tragic insult to injury:

“Jubril Aminu, a community leader who acts as a spokesman for the families of the hostages, said he had received a call on his phone from the kidnappers on Tuesday. … ‘They said they will kill all the students and the staff if the ransom demand is not met.’”

I cannot fathom what the families of these students and this devastated community are experiencing.

This is barbarism at its worst as the predators keep coming back for more prey.

I hope that you stand with LRI as we stand with local, Christ-centered partners in Nigeria and elsewhere, ministering to the persecuted and serving those impacted by violence and radical Islamist terror.

Respond with the love of Christ amid such pain and loss, and you will be a light and a lifeline for the hurting in Nigeria and beyond.

Your gift will provide emergency relief, practical humanitarian items, trauma counseling, safety and shelter from violence, spiritual support, Bibles, and much more — all offered in Christ’s name to those who feel hopeless in the wake of tragedy.

As you give, please also pray for the families impacted by this terrorist attack — that compassion, peace, and love will invade their hearts — and that God will keep every captive safe until EVERYONE is returned home.

Mat Staver