~Atafo Igbinedion
A group of armed robbers who ambushed 13 Bishops of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star on an episcopal tour through Nigeria pleaded for prayers to avoid being caught after realizing their captives were clergymen.
The unsettling encounter took place on Wednesday evening along a federal highway in Benue State, as the bishops were en route to Abuja. Archbishop Benjamin Ogwutum, the leader of the group, recounted the incident to journalists.
“We were hoping to reach Abuja by nightfall, so we decided to continue our journey into the evening,” Ogwutum explained.
However, as they left the North Bank area of Benue State, they encountered men who initially appeared to be Fulani herdsmen.
“They stopped our vehicle in the middle of the highway. Fear gripped us, and we called out the name of the Father,” the Archbishop narrated.
To their surprise, one of the men, who seemed to be the leader, approached them and said, “Oh, free them—they are people of God. We have no business with you.”
The leader then admitted that they were in fact armed robbers but requested, “We need your prayers.”
