A Catholic priest, Reverend Father Ibrahim Amos, has been abducted by suspected bandits in the Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The kidnapping occurred on Thursday at Saint Gerald’s Quasi Parish in the Kurmin Risga community, where the priest resided. While police are yet to confirm the incident, the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan has verified the abduction.
In a statement released on Thursday, Revd. Fr. Jacob Shanet, Chancellor of the Diocese, described the incident as deeply saddening and called for calm among the faithful. He urged the public to avoid any unlawful retaliation and requested prayers for Father Amos’s safe return.
Shanet also assured that the Diocese would employ all available and lawful means to ensure the priest is rescued unharmed and in good health.
This latest abduction comes just weeks after Revd. Fr. Sylvester Okechukwu, another priest from the same Diocese, was kidnapped and later killed in Kaura Local Government Area.
Kaduna State, along with several other regions in northwestern and central Nigeria, has long suffered from violent attacks and kidnappings by armed groups commonly referred to as bandits. These criminal gangs operate from forested camps spanning Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina, and Niger States, often targeting villages and schools.
In response to rising insecurity, Katsina State formed the Katsina Community Watch Corps in 2023, a 2,000-strong civilian militia tasked with assisting official security forces in combating the insurgency. Despite such efforts, violence and abductions continue to plague the region.