The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kaduna State chapter, has challenged Governor Nasir el-Rufai to expose the security operatives that compromised in the war against banditry.
Following the kidnap of the Parish Priest of St. John the Evangelical Catholic Church, Kaduna, Rev. Fr. Joseph Aketeh, Chairman of CAN in the state, Rev. Joseph Hayab, tasked El-Rufai to come out with details of military officers that compromised, so that they could be prosecuted accordingly.
His words: “This kidnapping and banditry may not stop until the government shows seriousness to address the issue. Just recently, El-Rufai openly said, in a meeting, that it seems they are incapacitated on this problem of kidnapping because some of the military officers have compromised.
“If the governor could come out to say that the military has compromised, Nigerians have no hope any longer over this security challenge facing us. All we need El-Rufai to do now is to expose those military men that have compromised. Right now, Nigerians are incapacitated and they may take their security into their own hands.”
Hayab condemned the kidnap of the Catholic priest, and killing of two others in Kudenda community, Kaduna South Local Council.
A witness, who identified himself simply as John, told journalists that the terrorists invaded the community about 01:25a.m. yesterday.
He said they killed the security guard at the parish house and one other during the attack.
“The kidnappers came around 01:25a.m. and started shooting sporadically for more than 30 minutes. I came to the parish house few minutes before 03:00a.m. By then, the bandits had already taken the parish priest. I saw the remains of the security man lying on the tap side of the parish house.
“After they took the parish priest away, the security guard came out to raise the alarm, thinking that the bandits had already gone. They shot him three times; one bullet in his chest, and two his stomach,” he said.
The Guardian gathered that the terrorists also attacked three houses in the area, killing a man and took his brother, a woman and her two children.
The Dean of Romi Deanery, Catholic Archdiocese of Kaduna, Very Rev. Fr. Andrew Dodo, who also confirmed the incidents, said the terrorists, as at press time, had not demanded ransom.
He called on Nigerians to pray for the release of people in kidnappers’ den. Though contacted, police spokesman in the state, Mohammed Jalige, has yet to react to the incident.
