You may have observed that the impulsive reaction of people in extremely vulnerable situations is a frenetic call on the name “Jesus.” People, not Christians, were advisedly referred to because there have been stories of self-styled atheists and animists hysterically calling on the Name amid flight turbulence or when life throws a curveball that lands them in dire straits. Jesus is a name for all seasons and occasions. More common are instances of people screaming “Jesus!” as they wake from a nightmare.

A resonating reason for the potent Name’s appeal has now emerged. On May 15, 2026, dozens of armed men, some of whom were dressed in military fatigues and riding motorcycles, stormed three schools in the Ahoro-Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. By the time the dust settled at Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School – locations close to Ogbomoso town, 39 pupils and seven teachers were found to have been spirited into the forest.

The hostages regained freedom on July 10 after spending 56 days in the captivity of the kidnappers, who beheaded the mathematics teacher, Michael Oyedokun. Following their rescue, one of the teachers, Zacchaeus Olatunde, had a telephone conversation with a national radio station during which he said, “When we just got there, they told us not to pray, but after about a month, they told us we could pray but not mention the name of Jesus, and we should not pray out loud.”

This confirms that those home video scenes where a captive’s mention of the name of Jesus causes upheaval and angst in occult gatherings or witches’ covens are verisimilitude. There is no better validation of the propriety and apropos of an action than its prohibition by a villain, particularly terrorists (who sang and danced after gruesomely killing one of their victims). It’s in keeping with the principle of self-preservation where people would have none of their nemesis. Getting to know from the Oriire victims’ ordeal that the panacea to bloodthirsty kidnappers is praying boldly and in the Name of Jesus may come as a big reveal to the world, but not to the believer.

This is because we already know that “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.” (Proverbs 18:10). The scripture presents the solution as the exclusive privilege of the righteous. That’s quite true. You don’t go about name-dropping when the owner of the name doesn’t know you. Doing so in the metaphysical realm is an invitation to the kind of humiliation and severe beating suffered by the seven sons of Sceva in Acts 19:13-16. The good news, however, is that even the vilest sinner can become righteous once they believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, confessing Christ as Lord over their lives. (Romans 10:9-10).

This belief and confession spark a supernatural transformation where the sinner’s filthy rag is replaced with the righteousness of Jesus. Christ sets the sinner in right standing with God even as the Holy Spirit sustains them. This is what makes you an authorised user of the Name. Outside the Lamb of God, we are unworthy to come before the Father in the flesh. With God’s eyes too holy to behold iniquity, we can only come before Him in the Name of the Son whose righteousness makes up for our shortcomings! This is why the Name works wonders. As an aside, it’s beyond yours truly how some people trivialise it as “ijn”!

Praying in Jesus’s name is what to do when there’s nothing else to do. You can use it to dispel despondency and fear so that faith can well up inside you. We are, according to Colossians 3:17, actually meant to live in and by the power of the Name of Jesus. It is a badge of authority that is hallowed in heaven, on earth, and underneath the earth. When flashed, every knee bows.

That is what Calvary has availed the believer. “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Philippians 2:8-10 NIV).

Although the captives were barred from calling on the liberating Name, lots of folks were calling it on their behalf. No wonder, in the words of Olatunde, “The way we were rescued was miraculous.” The teacher went on to affirm that “God answered all the prayers that people were praying for us.” This confirms Jesus’s words in John 14:13, “Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

Christians must be mindful of the authority they have in the Name of Jesus over devils and every situation. It is the Believer’s hedge and edge. It’s just like law enforcement agents who must be obeyed in their line of duty because they are acting at the behest of the state. It’s not about the individual but the uniform on them. The Name of Jesus is that military or paramilitary fatigue feared and deferred to by evil rulers, authorities of the unseen world, mighty powers in this dark world, and evil spirits in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12 NLT)

A major extrapolation of Teacher Olatunde’s disclosure is that the same way the terrorists couldn’t stand the Name of Jesus is how they won’t be able to suffer (accommodate) whoever is affiliated with the Name. Ergo, when you hear Kingdom citizens aver that they can’t be kidnap victims, they are not being presumptuous or indulging vacuous bombast. As 2 Corinthians 6:14 asks, “What fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” This verse is often quoted when it’s within a person’s whims, but it also applies in forced situations, such as being under enemy subjugation.

Before cynics dismiss the truth that saints aren’t susceptible to kidnapping as outlandish or naive, here are some facts to chew on. For starters, “free indeed,” as highlighted in John 8:36, means freedom in all ramifications. The person who has been set free by Christ isn’t meant to be in a dungeon of any kind. Next, believers carry the presence of the Lord wherever they go. (Psalm 23:4, 1 Corinthians 6:19). Now, if the mention of “Jesus” throws a spanner in their works, is it His presence that terrorists can survive? With the Lord’s assurance in Matthew 28:20 that “I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” how possible is it to incarcerate the One who held captivity captive?

Meanwhile, there is a special kind of prayer that agents of darkness know nothing about – that’s speaking in tongues. It’s a supplication that can be made under your breath yet is dynamic in its workings. Tongue talking is a discrete and direct line of communication with God that cuts off the enemy. This is why Paul the Apostle said in 1 Corinthians 14:2, “He who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.” Believers don’t even need to be audible or intelligible about it, but by groaning in the spirit like Hannah did in 1 Samuel 1:12-13, through faith, the captive will be set free!

All said, let it sink in that the same way the netherworld couldn’t hold Jesus is how the believer can’t tarry in captivity if ever they get kidnapped. This is even without the born-again Christian having to exercise the authority that Christ’s identity confers. (Mark 16:17-18). With the Name of Jesus at our disposal, as He is, so are we in this world. Hallelujah!

VIS Ugochukwu is a sage, storyteller and branding specialist who welcomes feedback via [email protected]