A Samaritan's Purse pilot averted a hijacking in Africa by speaking of God's love to an armed assailant, leading to a peaceful surrender.



Evangelist Franklin Graham, President and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse, recounted how a pilot of a Samaritan's Purse plane successfully defused a hijacking attempt in Africa by telling the armed hijacker that God loves him.

Speaking to ABC 45 about the incident, which took place on December 2, Graham shared how the pilot made an effort to "try to convince him not to do this, but the guy said 'I'm going to kill you and I'm going to count to three and I'm going to kill you.'"

“So, the pilot realized this isn't going to turn out well," said Graham. "So, [the pilot said] I'm just going to tell him that God loves him. The guy surrendered, and so we are just grateful."

"We work in dangerous parts of the world; that's part of it."

On December 2, a Cessna Grand Caravan plane carrying medical supplies to Wau, South Sudan, was hijacked by a man, later identified as Yasir Mohammed Yusuf, who threatened to kill the pilot. The suspect was arrested after the plane landed safely in Wau, according to The Christian Post.

"We praise God that no one was seriously injured, and we are grateful to the security forces for their support and swift action on the ground to resolve the situation and bring a safe outcome," Samaritan's Purse said in a statement.

Although no official motive had been disclosed, Wau, a resident of the Abyei Administrative Area, reportedly wanted the plane to reach the nearby African country of Chad, the Associated Press reported.

The incident follows a separate November crash when a plane carrying two tons of Samaritan Purse supplies from the South Sudan capital, Juba, to people impacted by recent flooding crashed, killing everyone on board.

"Our team has reached the crash site, and it is with deep sadness that I share the confirmation that all three crew members have passed away," Bikram Rai, Samaritan's Purse deputy director in South Sudan, told Reuters.

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