One of two Catholic priests kidnapped in Kaduna was killed, while the other was released.
On July 19, 2022, the decaying body of the Reverend Father John Cheitnum was found.
One of the two Catholic priests who were kidnapped in Kaduna State’s Lere Local Government Area (LGA), the Reverend Father John Cheitnum, was murdered by his kidnappers.
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The victim was the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the state’s Jema’a LGA and the Director of Communications at the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan before his kidnapping and murder.
Bandits took Reverend Father Cheitnum and Reverend Father Donatus Cleopas while they were doing pastoral work at the rectory of Christ the King Catholic Church, Yadin Garu in Lere LGA on July 16.
The decomposing body of the priest was found on Tuesday, according to a statement by the Reverend Father Emmanuel Okolo, the Chancellor of the Kafanchan Catholic Diocese.
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In contrast, it was reported that Reverend Father Cleopas was freed by the robbers following the payment of an undisclosed ransom.
Kaduna State has recently had a number of kidnapping occurrences, most of which targeted religious leaders.
The Catholic Church of Kaduna Diocese alone has seen three of its priests killed by bandits in the past year, while four other priests were kidnapped and only managed to escape after ransoms were paid to their kidnappers.
Authorities in the state said that security officers had killed a well-known criminal who was part of one of the gangs that terrorised the people of Chikun LGA.
Samuel Aruwan, the state’s commissioner for internal security and home affairs, claimed that security forces had apprehended some criminals in the Kidunu general area near the Eastern By-Pass in the Chikun LGA. During a gunfight, one of the criminals was neutralised, but the others managed to flee with gunshot wounds.
He claimed that during the raid, two AK-47 weapons, charms, amulets, two motorcycles, and a cell phone were all retrieved from the bandits.
They will pay for it one day, themselves and all those supporting and protecting them will never failed to pay for their evil.
So shall it be amen.