Gunmen attack Catholic seminary in Kaduna, abduct students

Gunmen have abducted some students of St Albert the Great Institute of Philosophy, a Catholic seminary in Kaduna state.

The seminary, which is situated at Fayit community in Kagoma chiefdom, Jama’a LGA of Kaduna, was reportedly attacked on Monday night.

Confirming the development in a statement, Emmanuel Okolo, chancellor of the Catholic diocese of Kafanchan in Kaduna, said six other seminarians were injured during the attack.

“We announce with unease the kidnap of three major seminarians of the Christ the King Major Seminary. Christ the King Major Seminary, our diocesan Major Seminary, is domiciled within the St. Albert Institute. It houses mostly the formators and seminarians preparing for the Catholic priesthood,” the statement reads.

“The Seminarians receive academic formation from the St. Albert Institute. The event took place on Monday, 11th October 2021 at about 7.26pm, in the Chapel of the Seminary in Fayit, Fadan Kagoma in Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

“As at the time of the attack, 10 formators including the Rectors of the Seminary and the Institute, 132 seminarians, 6 non-seminarians, one female non-academic staff and one steward were on ground.

“Six seminarians sustained various degrees of injuries. A dispatch of soldiers of the Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) was on ground to accompany some formators and the injured seminarians to Salem Hospital in Kafanchan. There, they were treated and discharged after being confirmed to be stable.

“From the narrative of the seminary security agents, the law enforcement personnel and the headcount conducted after Mass on the 12th October, 2021, it was confirmed that three Theology Four seminarians were abducted. These seminarians belong to the Apostles of Divine Charity and the Little Sons of the Eucharist Congregation.”

The diocese asked the public to pray for the safety of the victims, adding that it would “use every legitimate means to ensure their prompt and secure release”.

Kaduna has been under attack by gunmen — with residents and students kidnapped for ransom.

More than five schools have been attacked by gunmen in the state since the beginning of the year.

TheCable had reported that five kidnapped students of Bethel Baptist High School in Damishi area of the state were recently released by their abductors, after spending three months on captivity.

Bandits had, on July 5, invaded the school, kidnapping 121 students.

The bandits had said the students would be released in batches when they freed the first set of 28 on July 25 — after a ransom of N100 million was reportedly paid.