Gunmen kidnap Catholic priest, kill 3 in Kaduna
Gunmen have abducted a Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Nathaniel Asuwaye, along with 10 other persons in Karku community, Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The priest, who serves as the parish priest of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Karku, was reportedly kidnapped from his residence during a dawn attack that occurred around 3:20 a.m. on […]
Gunmen have abducted a Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Nathaniel Asuwaye, along with 10 other persons in Karku community, Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The priest, who serves as the parish priest of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Karku, was reportedly kidnapped from his residence during a dawn attack that occurred around 3:20 a.m. on Friday.
A statement by the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan and signed by the Diocesan Chancellor, Very Rev. Fr. Jacob Shanet, described the incident as a violent invasion carried out by armed men.
According to the Diocese, the attackers also killed three residents of the community during the raid. The victims were identified as Mr. Jacob Dan’azumi, Mr. Maitala Kaura and Alhaji Kusari.
The statement said the gunmen stormed the area in large numbers, spreading fear and confusion among residents before abducting the priest and other victims and taking them to an unknown location.
While security agencies are yet to issue an official statement on the incident, the Diocese appealed to priests and people of goodwill to intensify prayers for the safe release of Rev. Fr. Asuwaye and the other abductees.
Meanwhile, security sources confirmed that operatives have launched a coordinated manhunt for the attackers and deployed personnel to the Kauru axis to forestall further violence.
Efforts to reach the Kaduna State Police Command for official confirmation were unsuccessful, as the Police Public Relations Officer did not respond to calls at the time of filing this report.