Gunmen abduct Catholic priest in Plateau

• Kidnappers of three pastors in Kogi demand N80m
•19 Katsina public schools to shut over insecurity

Gunmen have abducted Rev. Fr. James Kantoma of St Anthony Catholic Parish, Angware, Jos East Local Council of Plateau State.

Kantoma, who is also the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Jos East, was abducted from his house yesterday morning.

The State Chairman of CAN, Polycarp Lubo, confirmed the abduction of the cleric, describing the incident as unfortunate.

Lubo said: “Since the gunmen took the priest away, we have not heard anything either from him or the abductors. This is so sad. But we are praying for him that no harm will befall him wherever he is.”

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Alfred Alabo, confirmed the incident to The Guardian, yesterday.

According to a family source, the criminals have not made any demands.

BUT the bandits that abducted three church leaders along Ochadamu–Okele–Ejule road in Ofu Local Council of Kogi State are demanding N80 million for their freedom.

Among the victims is Sunday Abbah from Olamaboro Local Council, a resident in Lokoja. Others are Peter Adigidzi and Mike Baba.

The victims were reportedly on their way from Lokoja to minister at a crusade programme in Kogi East when the gunmen flagged down their car around Ochadamu–Okele­–Ejule settlements and carried them into the bush.
 
A source from the family of one of the victims said the hoodlums called and demanded N80 million before the captors could be left off their hook.

Also, the Kogi State Coordinator of Children Evangelism Ministry (CEM), Charles Esho, said the three missionaries, who resided in Lokoja, were kidnapped on Friday, June 10, 2022, at Ejule in Ofu.

Esho urged prayers for their safety and divine rescue within the shortest possible period.

Confirming the incident, PPRO for Kogi, William Aya, said personnel had been drafted to the area to secure the release of the victims.

The kidnap came barely two weeks after the kidnap of a Catholic priest in Okene, Kogi State.

MEANWHILE, attacks by terrorists have forced 19 public primary schools in Kankara Local Council of Katsina State to shut down.

Education Secretary of the council, Kabir Ali, said the closure of the schools had seen most of the pupils move to Kankara town to continue with their education.

Ali stated this when he received a team from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) at his office, yesterday.

He lamented that the situation led to the congestion of classes in the council’s headquarters, and affected the delivery of quality education.

As a way of decongesting the classrooms, he added, the pupils were divided into two groups, with one group coming to school in the morning, and the other in the afternoon.

He said despite the effort, the council was still in need of additional classrooms and teachers, as well as teaching materials and the rehabilitation of some dilapidated structures.

Ali, however, commended UNICEF for its intervention in revamping the sector in the council, especially through Girls Education Project 3 (GEP 3).