John Arum Azi, the University of Jos (UNIJOS) student who was abducted by bandits in Kaduna state, was forced by his captives to deny his Christian faith.
Chronicle NG reports that Arum, in a video clip that has gone viral, was severely flogged and brutalized at gun point by the captives.
The Plateau State native was on his way to Zaria on a business trip before he was kidnapped along with six other passengers.
In the video clip, Arum was brutally flogged, while his captives urged him to beg his parents to hasten up the payment of the N30 million ransom demanded by the terrorists.
While being beaten mercilessly, Arum shouted “Jesus,” a word that infuriated his captives, who intensified flogging the victim.
In response, one of the captives, while flogging Arum, spoke a statement in Hausa which translated by our correspondent, said, “Jesus?, You told me yesterday you do not know Jesus. You said you’re a pagan!!!”
Speaking under the influence of the excruciating pain, Arum said, “I am a pagan. I only grew up among Christians.”
However, the bandits intensified the gruesome punishment on the victim, placing a big stone on his back while he was flogged.
Chronicle NG gathered that after negotiation with the terrorists, the bandits reduced the ransom to N4 million.
At the time of filling this report, the victim remains in the den of the kidnappers.
