Gunmen kidnap pastors, demand N100m ransom

Emmanuel Dziggau, president of the United Church of Christ in Nigeria, Illiya Anto, his vice, and Yakubu Dzarma, a reverend, were abducted by some gunmen in Kaduna state on Monday evening.

The incident happened along the Kaduna-Abuja highway, where they had gone to inspect a project of the church.

The gunmen, who reportedly work masks during the operation, later released Anto on health grounds.

Addressing a press conference in Jos, Plateau state capital, where the headquarters of the church is located, Moses Ebuga, an official of the church, said the kidnappers have contacted the church to demand for N100 million in exchange of the release of the men.

“The abductors has so far released Rev. Illiya Anto due to his health condition but the rest are still been held by the captives,” he said.

“The kidnappers who have been using the mobile phone of Rev. Anto are demanding for N100 million ransom before they could release the President and Rev Yakubu Dzarma.”

Ebuga said the incident could be as a result of the forthcoming election of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

“We are not ignorant of the prevailing political scheming in the country over the planned national election of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) where the leaders have become the subject of attack particularly the leadership of TEKAN/ECWA Bloc in CAN,” he said.

The Kaduna state police command has not made any public statement on the issue.