Three days after his release by kidnappers who took him away on April 15, Chairman of Ejigbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Lagos, South-West Nigeria, Comrade Kehinde Bamigbetan, last night staged a return to Facebook to resume interaction with his legion of friends.

Bamigbetan, a journalist and activist who later delved into politics, is well known fro using the social network to intimate his constituency and other Nigerians about the plans and activities of his administration and to seek advice.

But last night when he returned to Facebook after eight days’ absence, it was to give thanks and praises to God for his release from the kidnappers’ den at a time when some who undergo a similar experience never come out of it alive.

In his first posting made around 9:30 p.m. Nigerian time (20:30 GMT) Bamigbetan burst into a Christian song:

Great is thy faithfulness

great is thy faithfulness

morning by morning

Great mercies I see

All I have needed, thou hast provided

Great is thy faithfulness/ Lord unto me!

Forteen minutes later, he burst into another song of praise, this time in his native Yoruba tongue:

Emi yio gbe Oju mi si ori Oke wonni

Nibo ni iranlowo mi yio ti wa

iranlowo mi yio ti owo Oluwa wa

ti o da Orun ati aye

Ohun ki yio je ki ese mi ki o ye

Eni ti npa Israeli mo ki I togbe

kiyesi, eniti ti npa Israeli mo ki torugbe, beeni ki I sun. Oluwa ni Olupa mo mi

Oluwa ni Ojiji mi

ni owo Otun mi

Oorun ki yio pa mi ni igba Osan

Tabi osupa ni oru

Oluwa yio pa mi mo Kuro ninu Ewu gbogbo. Yio pa okan mi mo. Oluwa yio pa Alo ati abo mi mo

Lati igba yi lo ati titi Laila

Aamin.

Bamigbetan’s friend responded enthusiastically to the postings, with several of them writing to congratulate him on his freedom and joining him in thanking God for ensuring his safe return from the kidnapers’ grip.