It’s emerged that a ransom was paid to secure the release of 17 American and Canadian missionaries who were taken hostage by a gang in Haiti in October. The group including an eight-month old baby, were kidnapped in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince after a visit to an orphanage supported by Christian Aid Ministries.

2 of the missionaries were released in November with another 3 being freed at the beginning of December.

On December 15th the final 12 managed to escape by moonlight. They later gave a press conference describing their ordeal and how they had prayed to God to show them which direction to walk in.

The 400 Mawozo gang had threatened to kill the missionaries unless a ransom of $1million was paid for each person.

Missionary Ray Noecker’s wife and five children were among the hostages. At a prayer vigil earlier this week he gave details of a ransom agreement.   

“There had been a ransom agreement reached with the hostage-takers, and to my understanding that ransom was actually delivered the Sunday night that my wife and son and the other lady were released.

"The ransom agreement was for the entire group but there was some division within the gang so they were not able to release all of them at that time.

"So that would be one of the reasons the gang would have told the group that were in captivity that they were being released because of the sores, the medical condition of my wife and the other lady."

Mr Noecker was unable to say the amount of the ransom or who had paid the money. 

Throughout the period of captivity, Christian Aid Ministries had asked supporters across the world for constant prayer.