Kidnappers Kill Pastor, Abduct Wife On Kaduna-Abuja Express Way
http://www.hrlnews.com/2019/08/kidnappers-kill-pastor-abduct-wife-on.html
A Pastor of the Living Faith Church, in Romi New Extension, a suburb
of Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Jeremiah Omolara has
been shot dead by gunmen along the Kaduna- Abuja Expressway. Omolara was
shot twice on the chest by the gunmen who abducted his wife and son.
The son later escaped. It was gathered that the gunmen are now asking
for N50 million as ransom before they would release the pastor’s wife.
Our
correspondent also gathered that the incident, which happened on
Sunday, occurred along the notorious Kaduna-Abuja road when the pastor,
his wife and son were returning from Abuja to Kaduna in the evening.
The
gunmen, it was gathered, on sighting the victims’ car, opened fire,
killing the pastor, who was driving. However, the son was said to have
escaped from the bandits. A member of the church, who did not want his
name mentioned, told our correspondent that the abductors are now
demanding a ransom of N50 million. The church member further said: “The
pastor, his wife and son were on their way back in the evening from
Abuja, when they were attacked along Abuja- Kaduna Highway. The pastor
was shot twice, while his wife and son were kidnapped. He was later
rushed to Saint Gerald Hospital, Kaduna, where he was referred to Barau
Dikko Hospital.
He was confirmed dead at Barau Dikko Hospital.The
pastor’s son escaped from the hands of the kidnappers. His wife is still
with the kidnappers and they are asking for N50 million ransom.” The
state chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Joseph Hayab,
confirmed the development. Hayab said that the increasing rate of
kidnapping in Kaduna was worrisome, especially abductions of clerics. He
said the killing of Omolara and the abduction of his wife, was sad and
devastating. Hayab disclosed that last Thursday, the parish priest of
Kasuwan Magani, Kajuru Local Government Area, Reverend Father Joe, was
attacked by gunmen at his residence and his security guard killed.
According to him, the parish priest narrowly escaped being killed or
being abducted. He added that in the same vein, a 13-year-old daughter
of a Baptist pastor was abducted. The kidnappers later demanded ransom.
The CAN chairman said that in Kudendan area of the metropolis, gunmen
invaded the house of a pastor of a church called Friendship
International and took him away. His words: “As at Friday, the
kidnappers were asking us to pay N4 million or we should not call them
again for the release of the pastor.
Now, the Living Faith Church
pastor has been killed, while his wife was abducted. That tells you that
the new trend is to attack us in our homes or in our churches or on the
roads. We are just not safe anywhere and we asked the same question we
have been asking; where are our security agencies? Are we being told
that we should defend ourselves? If we start defending ourselves, it
means that we no longer have security or we no longer have a government.
Or is this government only for those they love? So, we are really
concerned that people, especially clerics in Kaduna are no longer safe.”
When the correspondent called the Kaduna State Police Public Relations
Officer (PPRO), Yakubu Sabo, to confirm the incident, he didn’t pick his
calls.
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