Narrow Escape For Rev Father As Gunmen Abduct Catechist In Kaduna

For inadvertently being out-of-station, a Catholic Priest in Kaduna State, Rev Father Joseph Shekari, on Thursday narrowly escaped another harrowing experience of spending time in the den of kidnappers

However, in his stead, the invading gunmen abducted Mr Kefas Ishaya, who is the Catechist of St. Monica Catholic Church, Ikulu-Pari, in Chawai Chiefdom of Kauru Local Government, Kaduna State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the gunmen abducted the Catechist when they could not lay hands on his boss, Rev Fr Shekari, who luckily was unavailable during the attack on his residence.

The reports stated that the Priest, who was abducted in similar circumstances in February 2022, had travelled out of the village and was not available for a second ordeal in captivity.

The Parish had its annual Thanksgiving Service on Sunday and the members suspect the abductors were targeting the proceeds having succeeded in carting away what was generated in February 2022.

Chairman of Ikulu Zone of the Parish, Mr Sunday Bage, told NAN that the abductors came “around 9.30 p.m. Thank God Father (Reverend) travelled. They didn’t get him, but they picked our Catechist.

“They dragged the Catechist to the bush. They took him with his phone. We have been calling the line but it keeps ringing out”.

He said that the gunmen were many and kept shooting sporadically, moving through the Church, the school and the Priest’s residence in search of the Rev Father.

Also, neighbours informed NAN that the gunmen broke into the residence of the Priest after scaling through the fence and they were said to have broken the main door to the house using stones and bullets.

“Immediately they broke into the house, they searched and ransacked everywhere. They checked under the beds, wardrobes, bathrooms and kitchen. They even checked the ceiling, but Father had travelled. So, they did not get him.

“In anger, they took our Catechist. As we speak, he is with them in the bush. It is a very sad situation. This is devastating. They dragged Catechist on the ground like a dog”, a visibly fear-stricken woman told NAN.

She recalled that it was not long ago that Fr Shekari was abducted and rescued after “a huge ransom” was paid, adding; “They came again to take him. Luckily, he wasn’t in. This is really a dark period for us”.

Recalls that Rev. Father Shekari was kidnapped by gunmen in February 2022 and during that attack, his cook, Sati Musa, was shot dead by the gunmen while trying to protect his master.

A Church elder, Mr Yohanna Madaki, while speaking on the February incident, had noted that the abductors apparently targeted the more than N2 million realised from the annual thanksgiving service the same day.

The money was taken along with the Priest, while the murdered cook was a student of the Government Secondary School, Kizakoro.

This year, the Parish held its Annual Thanksgiving Service on Sunday, January 16, and the abductors struck on Thursday, January 19. – NAN