Hijacker Gives Up After Pilot Shares Message of God’s Love

Pilot Defuses Hijacking with Message of Love

Franklin Graham, the president and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse, shared a remarkable story about a plane pilot who managed to prevent a hijacking in Africa. During an incident that took place on December 2, the pilot was confronted by an armed man who threatened him, stating, “I’m going to kill you, on the count of three.” This moment was tense, as you can imagine.

In recounting the event, Graham noted that the pilot initially attempted to reason with the hijacker. But then, realizing the situation called for a different approach, the pilot simply said, “God loves you.” Miraculously, this seemed to disarm the attacker, leading to his surrender. Graham expressed gratitude for this outcome, saying, “We’re just thankful.”

On that day, a Cessna Grand Caravan was en route to deliver medical supplies to Wau, South Sudan, when it was taken over by a man identified as Yasir Mohammed Yusuf. Fortunately, after landing safely, the suspect was detained. Samaritan’s Purse commented, “We praise God that no one was seriously injured and are grateful to the security forces on the ground for their assistance.” It’s clear they are relieved.

The motive behind the hijacking remains unclear. Reports indicate that the hijacker was from Abyei governorate and aimed to divert the plane towards Chad. This incident comes in the wake of another tragedy in November, where a plane carrying aid supplies crashed, resulting in the loss of all three crew members on board. The deputy director of Samaritan’s Purse in South Sudan, Bikram Rai, confirmed the somber news about that crash.

It’s all quite sobering, really. Working in these dangerous regions is part of what organizations like Samaritan’s Purse face, and while some risks are apparent, the unpredictability of such situations is always alarming.