Priest “William Dolin”: Take my life, set him free

Priest “William Dolin” responded to the death sentence of a Christian by saying: Take my life, set him free.

“Sandy Jackson,” a Christian citizen from Nigeria, was sentenced to death for legitimate self-defense against an attack by a Fulani Islamist. This sentence was issued by Nigerian judicial authorities on March 7 against Sandy.

Priest William Dolin is the leader of Infinity Bible Church and director of several charitable organizations that have supported persecuted Christians worldwide for years. After the initial death sentence for Sandy Jackson was issued in 2021, he has followed up on and pursued her case.

The court judge, while issuing the death sentence for Sandy, stated that Sandy should have fled the scene of the conflict, and because he did not flee and became involved, his punishment is death. His death sentence was confirmed in early March by Nigeria’s Supreme Court.

Priest William, in response to the issuance of a death sentence for Sandy Jackson, declared his readiness to sacrifice his own life for Jackson’s freedom during a press conference. In statements about this decision and support for Sandy, he said: “My relationship with Jesus Christ demands that I sacrifice my life for the salvation of others, just as he did. I am 72 years old and Jackson is 30 years old. God has granted me a long life, and if I can save his life with my death, I will do so immediately.”

Priest William Dolin also asked other Christian leaders to work for Jackson’s pardon against the death sentence, but if unsuccessful, he is willing to give his life to save Jackson. He added in his statement: “This is the same mission that Christ accomplished for me, and now I want to accomplish it for another.”

Following Priest Dolin’s request for Christian leaders to work to save Sandy, leaders of Nigeria’s Christian association released a statement in which, in addition to requesting Sandy Jackson’s pardon, they denounced the issuance of the death sentence against him as a denial of justice. They stated that Sandy Jackson waited several years for trial, but his legal proceedings were entirely unjust.

Christian activists believe that the increase in violent attacks against the Christian community in Nigeria has often gone without legal prosecution, and the attackers are not held accountable for their attacks. These acts of violence, perpetrated by radical Islamists against minorities, are symbolic of genocide in Nigeria, which the Nigerian government has always denied and rejected.