CAN kicks as gunmen kill Living Faith Church pastor, abduct wife in Kaduna

Joseph Hayab, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kaduna, has lamented over the high level of insecurity in the state.

He spoke to reporters shortly after Jeremiah Omolara, a resident pastor of the Living Faith Church in Romi New Extension, a suburb in Kaduna state, was killed while his wife was abducted.

The incident happened along the Kaduna-Abuja road on Sunday. The pastor, his wife and son were traveling to Abuja when he was killed.

The gunmen were said to have opened fire on their vehicle, killing the pastor on the spot before taking his wife into the bush.

However, the son was said to have escaped. Sources said the abductors later contacted the family of the victim to demand a ransom of N50 million.

Hayab lamented the increasing rate of kidnappings in Kaduna, especially the abduction of clergy men.

He said last Thursday a cleric in Kasuwan Magani in Kajuru local government area was attacked by gunmen at his residence while his security guard was killed.

He added that in the same LGA, the daughter of a Baptist pastor was abducted and the kidnappers were demanding a huge sum as ransom

The CAN chairman also narrated how gunmen invaded the residence of a pastor and took him away.

“As at Friday, the kidnappers were asking us to pay N4 million or we should not call them again for the release of the pastor,” he said.

”Now the Living Faith Church pastor was abducted along Kaduna-Abuja and was killed while his wife was abducted. That tells you that the new trend is to attack us in our homes or in our churches or on the roads. We are just not safe anywhere and we are asking the same question we have been asking; where are our security agencies?