By Abdullahi Alhassan Kaduna
The Chairman Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN) Kaduna State, Reverend John Joseph Hayeb, said about 18 Pastors were kidnapped 4 persons killed over billion paid as ransom to kidnappers in Northern Nigeria.
Reverend Hayeb was speaking at a one-day Peace and Security Summit with the Theme: Nigeria’s Insecurity: The Church’s Response in the 21st Century.
held at ECWA Good News Narayi, High cost Kaduna.
Reverend Hayeb explained that the data revealed an approximated amount of money paid as ransom to free people within the on a Survey to over three hundred Million Naira (N300,000 000) as at 2019, adding that today the amount has risen to over a billion Naira, with many victim’s dead and even more still in the hands of kidnappers as we are speaking to you.
He named the deceased as follows, Pastor, Jeremiah Omolara,of living faith Church, Romi new Extension, Reverend lliya Anto former vice president of HEKAN Church, Reverend Father John Bako Shekwolo St.Theresa Catholic Church, Akwa, Kachia local Government Area, and Reverend, Hosea Akuchi-Nasara Baptist Church, Guru.
The CAN chairman further stated that security challenge in Nigeria and Kaduna state, in particular, is not a new thing to us, it is a monster that we have been struggling very hard for decades to deal with.
He said, “Every government has had its fair share of this experience accordingly, a keen look at our security challenges will reveal two basic facts, one is the proof that the challenge keeps changing with time while the second is that it is outrageous now.”
The CAN chairman further explained, that for Kaduna State in 1987, it was a student’s riot at the Kaduna State College of Education Kafanchan triggering religious intolerance and then we had the 1992 and 1995 Zangon Kataf Communal unrest, ignited by the relocation initiative of a Market then came the 2000 Sharia crisis and 2002 Mis World crisis there was equally the 2011 post-election crisis next Kaduna state witness series of bombings believed to be by the Boko Haram terrorist group.
Also speaking at the Security Summit, the Former Chief of Defence Staff, General Martin Luther Agwai said that the issue of insecurity in the country is worrisome, looking at the situations on ground of kidnapping for ransom. “Burning of worshiping centers, banditry and incessant killings which resulted to the loss of lives properties worth millions of naira on daily basis are been witnessing”. He noted.
The former General who is the Chairman of the Event, represented at the Security Summit, by Retired Brigadier General, Hassan H Lai, appealed to all stakeholders, to intensified efforts by curbing the menace of insecurity bedeviling the country, he prays of God`s intervention to bring to an end of the situation.