JUST IN: Gunmen invade Kukah’s church, kidnap priests, others

Gunmen early Wednesday broke into one of the parishes presided over by the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan-Kukah.

It was gathered that the armed hoodlums kidnapped two priests and two others in the rectory of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Gidan Maikambo, in the Kafur Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Kukah’s Sokoto Diocese covers Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi States.

The Director, Social Communications of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Rev. Fr Christopher Omotosho, confirmed the development with The PUNCH on Wednesday morning.

He said the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto is under attack and no information has been gotten as to the whereabouts of the abductees.

Omotosho said, “As at midnight of today, 25th May, 2022, gunmen broke into the rectory of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Gidan Maikambo, Kafur LGA of Katsina State.

“The parish priest and his assistant Rev. Frs. Stephen Ojapa, MSP, and Oliver Okpara and two boys in the house were kidnapped.

“No information as to their whereabouts. Kindly pray for their safety and release.”

When contacted, the spokesman for Katsina State Police Command, Gambo Isah, said, “Let me find out.”

It could be recalled that On May 14, rampaging hoodlums torched and vandalised some parishes presided over by Kukah in Sokoto following his condemnation of the gruesome murder of Deborah Yakubu by her Muslim colleagues.

The Informant247 reported that a 200-level Home Economics student of Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto was burnt to death for alleged blasphemy against Prophet Muhammed.