Terrorists have abducted two Catholic Priests, Reverend Fathers Kenneth Kanwa and Jude Nwachukwu on the 2nd of February 2024 at their Parish St. Vincent De Paul, Fier, Pankshin Diocese in Plateau State.
Confirming the abduction, the Provincial Secretary of Claretian Missionaries, Rev. Fr. Dominic Ukpong called for prayers for their safety and swift return.
On September 22, 2023, Reverend Father Marcellinus Okide was released after he was kidnapped by terrorists along with six other motorists in separate locations across Enugu State.
Similarly, four of the six the Corpers including the driver have now regained freedom while two remain in captivity after they were abducted by terrorists on 17th of August 2023 while on their way to Sokoto state for the one-year mandatory National Youth Service Scheme while they were traveling on the AKTC vehicle on Zamfara State roads.
Meanwhile, Vanguard had reported that an influential Northerner is being closely watched by security agencies for sponsoring terrorism and banditry.
It quoted a source, thus: “We are aware of the Senator’s unholy relationship with the enemies of the state, including the number of times he had held nocturnal meetings with kidnappers, bandits, and terrorists in Abuja, the seat of power”.
“Relevant security agencies have since unraveled the identity of a Senator from the North, who is the chief sponsor and financier of banditry and other terror-related activities in parts of the North.
“As a matter of fact, he is in marriage with the bandits, who have been terrorising the North Central and the North West general areas.
“His tendencies are so disruptive and over-arching that he interferes with the investigative activities of security and other law enforcement agencies, who have continued to make inroads into terrorism, sponsorship and financing.
“Let me shock you: investigations have so far revealed that the lawmaker knows where kidnapped Zamfara female varsity students, and members of the National Youth Service Corps are being held”.
“Security agencies are aware of the Senator’s disruptive activities and have placed him under surveillance, being a person of interest.
“While an influential Islamic scholar can be said to be in bed with suspected terrorists, this high-profile Nigerian is in marriage with the bandits, and you know what that mean.
“We are wondering why he was given such a sensitive chairmanship position to occupy, considering his antecedents, which were appropriately communicated to the highest authorities.
“The Senator is at the centre of banditry activities in parts of the North, especially in the North Central and North West general areas.
“He knows himself and he dare not try to intimidate anybody because all the meetings he held with banditry and kidnap kingpins in Abuja and elsewhere, are noted by revant agencies of government.
“The truth of the matter is that security agencies are doing their best in terms of intelligence, investigations, and operations, but what they need to identify, isolate, and bring terrorists and their sponsors/financiers to deserved justice, is the political will on the part of the government”.
