Tobi Adebayo and Linus Aleke
Some armed men on Wednesday launched an attack on a parish presided over by Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan-Kukah
According to reports, four persons, including two Catholic priests, were kidnapped after the gunmen invaded the rectory of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church.
The parish is located at Gidan Maikambo, in the Kafur Local Government Area of Katsina State.
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Recall that some hoodlums had razed down some parishes headed by Kukah following his condemnation of the killing of Deborah Samuel over alleged blasphemy.
Deborah was a 200-level student of the Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto State.
She was lynched and set ablaze by her Muslim colleagues who accused her of insulting Prophet Muhammed in a viral WhatsApp voicenote.
Speaking on the ugly incident, the Director, Social Communications, Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Rev. Fr. Christopher Omotosho, confirmed that St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Gidan Maikambo was invaded.
He however, expressed shock that no information on the whereabout of the abducted priests and others, is known.
“In the early hours of 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,” Omotosho pleaded.
Catholic Diocese of Sokoto has been under tension since an Islamic mob lynched and burnt Deborah Yakubu, a 200-level Home Economics student of the Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto.
The victim of the religious extremism and intolerance was accused of blasphemy against Prophet Muhammed.
