The Catholic Diocese of Zaria in Nigeria’s Kaduna state stated on Wednesday {that a} priest named Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Ezema was kidnapped from his church Tuesday evening.
According to the diocese, Ezema was taken from his residence at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Rumi, a village in Kaduna.
“We name on all women and men of Goodwill to hope for the secure and fast launch of our priest and others from the palms of their abductors,” Chancellor of the Nigerian Catholic Diocese Fr. Isek Augustine stated Wednesday.
“Through the intercession of our Lady, the Mother of all Priests, and our mom, might our brother, and others return to us secure and sound,” he prayed.
The diocese didn’t say whether or not a ransom was demanded or not and Nigerian officers have but to determine the abductors.
Nigeria’s Daily Post reported the kidnapping has thrown the Catholic group in Kaduna right into a state of “panic,” given the environment of concern throughout the nation.
“Fr. Ezema’s abduction provides to the rising checklist of clergy focused by armed teams in latest months, elevating renewed issues over the protection of non secular establishments within the nation,” the Daily Post noticed.
Another kidnapped Nigerian priest, an Anglican named Venerable Edwin Achi, was murdered by his captors final week. Achi was additionally posted to the state of Kaduna, the place he was kidnapped alongside together with his spouse and daughter by a squad of unidentified gunmen on October 28.
Shortly earlier than saying Achi’s killing, the abductors launched photographs of the priest, his spouse, and several other different Christian hostages.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, dealing with heavy criticism from inside and outdoors of Nigeria for failing to take motion in opposition to jihadis and bandits, declared a nationwide state of emergency final week.
President Donald Trump slammed Tinubu’s authorities for permitting a “Christian genocide” and threatened to ship in American troops with “guns-a-blazing” in early November.
