…as Police deploy team to secure their release.
Gunmen have kidnapped two priests of St Luke’s Catholic Church, Gyedna, Garam Ward in Tafa Local Government Area of Niger State,
Fr Paul Sanogo and Seminarian Melchior, were kidnapped in the early hours of Thursday at their residence in Current matters gathered.
The Catholic Bishop of Minna, Most Rev Dr Martin Igwe Uzoukwu, who confirmed the development in a message he reportedly sent to church members noted that the two priests were pastoral workers at St Luke’s Catholic Church Gyedna.
Current matters gathered that the kidnappers invaded the residential area of the priests and shot sporadically for over an hour before taking the priests away.
The Bishop’s statement reads:
“On behalf of my Auxiliary Most Rev Sylvester Luka Gopep, the Priests and Religious of the Catholic Diocese of Minna, I request for your prayers for Fr Paul Sanogo (M.Afr) and Seminarian Melchior who were kidnapped by bandits in the early hours of August 3, 2023, at the priest residence at Gyedna, Niger State.
“Fr Paul Sanogo (M.Afr) and Seminarian Melchior are pastoral workers serving at St Luke’s Catholic Church Gyedna, Niger State. We pray the Lord hears our prayers and bring them back in peace,” a message reportedly sent to church members by Most Rev. Uzoukwu reads.
Confirming the incident,, the Niger State Police Command Spokesperson, SP Wasiu Abiodun, said the force tactical teams led by the DPO of Tafa Division had been dispatched to the scene adding that the location of the church was on the outskirts of the town surrounded by mountains and forest.
“However, the location of the church was discovered to be on the outskirts of the town, which is about an hour’s drive from Sabon-Wuse, and surrounded by mountains and forest, close to Kagarko are of Kaduna state.
“Meanwhile, other seminarians therein have been advised to relocate temporarily while an investigation into the incident is ongoing with a view to rescuing the victims and arresting the perpetrators of the crime,”
Niger is one of the states grappling with vices of kidnapping and terrorism. The proximity of its forests to Kaduna and Zamfara states, other terrorists hubs makes incessant attacks by bandits unavoidable.
