…Church demand prayers for another kidnaped Akwa Ibom Rev. Fr.
… Total of 8 Catholic priests that kidnapped by bandits in Kaduna Diocese alone
… Buhari, total failure in security of lives and property – Chancellor
Mr Joseph Bako, a reverend father of the Catholic Church in Kaduna State who was kidnapped by bandits two months ago, has died in the custody of his abductors.
The victim reportedly spent eight weeks in captivity before his death.
Although the police authorities have yet to confirm the incident, the Chancellor of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kaduna, Reverend Father Christian Okewu Emanuel, disclosed this on Wednesday.
According to the chancellor, Father Bako was ill before his abduction and the abductors did not allow him go with his drugs for proper medication.
In his reaction, the Catholic Archbishop of Kaduna, Most Reverend Matthew Ndagoso, has sympathised with the family of the late clergymen over the incident.
He also commiserated with the entire Catholic community of St John Kudenda and assured them of his fraternal closeness and prayers.
Father Bako was kidnapped by bandits at his pastoral residence of Saint John’s Catholic Church, Kudenda in Chikun Local Government Area on March 8, 2022.
It could be recalled that few days back, gunmen suspected to be terrorists have kidnapped the parish priest of Saint John’s Catholic Church, Kudenda in Kaduna South Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Reverend Father Joseph Aketeh.
The terrorists also killed the priest’s gate man during the attack that occurred at about 1am on Tuesday morning.
The Chancellor of the Catholic Deanery of Kaduna Diocese, Reverend Father Anthony Dodo, told newsmen, that the gunmen invaded the parish house in the early hours of Tuesday and shot the gate man to death, before proceeding to the main building where the priests are living.
He said that the terrorists later broke into one of the rooms where the priest was sleeping, and took him away, while the second priest managed to escape from being abducted.
The chancellor also said that all efforts to reach out to security agencies during the operation were unsuccessful, as he could not get access to the telephone lines of heads of the security agencies by that time of the day.
While lamenting that the latest incident makes it a total of eight Catholic priests that have been kidnapped by bandits in Kaduna Diocese alone, Dodo described the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari as a total failure in securing the lives and property of the citizens.
He, therefore, called on the relevant security agencies to rise up to their responsibilities and ensure that the lives of all citizens are adequately protected.
In same vein, The Catholic Church in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria’s South-south, has urged members of the public to offer prayers for its priest who was abducted recently by gunmen.
The abducted priest, Alphonsus Uboh, was abducted around 7 p.m. on May 8 at his residence, inside the parish he was serving, in Ikot Akpan Abasi, Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
His abductors are demanding N100 million ransom before his release.
“We call on all men and women of goodwill to pray for his release from the hands of his abductors,” Charles Ekeng, a reverend father and diocesan chancellor, said in a statement on May 9 on behalf of the Uyo Catholic Diocese.
“While we solicit for an intense prayer for his quick and safe release, we equally wish to call on all not to take laws into their hands.
“We are using every legitimate means to ensure his safe release,” the statement said.
The Catholic Church said Mr Uboh was abducted shortly after he returned to his residence from visiting a parishioner who was ill.
The priest has spent three nights in captivity so far.
His abduction came a few days after a popular Pentecostal preacher was abducted and later released, apparently after ransom payment.
