There is panic in the Catholic community in Kaduna following the abduction of Reverend Father Emmanuel Ezema, a priest of the Zaria Diocese, who was taken by unknown gunmen late Tuesday night.
The Diocese of Zaria confirmed the incident on Wednesday in an official notice signed by the Diocesan Chancellor, Rev. Fr. Isek Augustine.
The statement noted that Fr. Ezema was kidnapped around 11:30 pm from his residence at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Rumi, causing shock across the parish and the Christian community.
The Diocese said, “We regret to officially announce the abduction of our priest, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Ezema… We call on all men and women of goodwill to pray for the safe and quick release of our priest and others from the hands of their abductors.”
The Church also appealed through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, expressing hope for the priest’s safe return.
It will be recalled that an Anglican priest in Kaduna last month was killed while in captivity.
Archbishop Henry Ndakuba stated that Venerable Edwin Achi, who was seized along with his wife and daughter from their home in Kaduna state on October 28, was murdered after spending about a month in captivity.
“With profound sorrow, we announce the tragic death of our beloved priest… who was brutally murdered after enduring a month-long abduction,” Ndakuba said in a Friday statement.
Gunmen initially demanded a ransom of 600 million naira ($416,000) for Achi’s release, later revising it to 200 million naira, according to the church. His wife and daughter are still being held. The police in Kaduna did not respond to requests for comment.
Nigeria has experienced a surge in terrorist, bandit, and kidnapping activities over the past two months, prompting the declaration of a national security emergency as part of efforts to address the crisis.
