Women in Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State have resorted to seeking God’s intervention in the efforts to secure the release of the five indigenes of the area who were abducted on September 12, 2020.

Woman Leader of Bonny Kingdom, Helen jack-Wilson Pepple said the women gathered under the aegis of the Bonny Women Forum (BWF) to hold a Prayer Conference to seek God’s face and His intervention in issues affecting Bonny Kingdom.

In a chat with Kristina Reports shortly after the conference, Jack-Wilson Pepple, who was the first female Secretary of the Bonny Local Government Council, explained that the kidnap of the Banigo 5 and several other challenges facing the community.

“We decided to pay a visit to the families of these men that were kidnapped, our fathers and our brothers. After that we took a decision that we have a prayer conference with representation from every chieftaincy house including Perekule House, the leader of the House, secretary and a man should equally come with them.”

“We will not limit it to the Banigo 5. You and I know that there have unrest in the nation, EndSARS protest came up and before you know it, it metamorphosed into killings here and there and lives have been lost.”

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She pointed out that though the nationwide protests have not gotten to Bonny LGA, indigenes of the area have relations across the country as such were obligated to reach out to these people through prayers.

“We thank God that it has not happened and it will not happen here in Bonny. But we have relations, we have siblings outside Bonny as a community. So, the individuals that came did not only come to pray for the Banigo 5 they came to pray for themselves, their families, the King, who happens to be our father, and the chiefs too.”

“We put our prayers looking at a holistic prayer for Bonny Kingdom, praying for mercy, peace and the Lord should heal the land.”  

“Today, I believe that any woman that prays once a day or a man that prays once a day must have heard that prayer is the key. Learn to pray twice or three times. Today, more souls even those that did not know God, more souls have been won into the kingdom of God. We are all evangelists in our own little way.”

“So, increase in the kingdom of God, peace, we have prayed for the land, healing upon the land and what else could we ask from the Lord if all these things come in, the multiplier effect what will we have, all round peace.

After a shootout that almost claimed lives, daredevil hoodlums kidnapped Theophilus Ibiama, Thompson Allison, Daniel Hart, Sunny Hart, and Dagogo Jackmay and held them hostage for one month and almost two weeks.

The Prayer Conference organized by the women of Bonny Women Forum (BWF) is the first ambitious move by any group in pursuit of the release of the Banigo 5.

Also, the women of Bonny Kingdom seem to have found their voice since the assumption of Helen Jack-Wilson Pepple as Leader, who has since deployed her linkages with the political and business space to pursue empowerment opportunities for the women of the Kingdom.