Gunmen Kidnap 3 Pastors in Kaduna During Crusade, Demand N100m

Members of Taraya Ekklesiyoyin Kristi A Nigeria (Fellowship of Churches of Christ in Nigeria, TEKAN), have been thrown into confusion with the kidnapping of their President, Dr. Emmanuel Dziggau.

He was said to have been kidnapped along with his deputy, Rev. Illiya Anto, and a retired reverend in the church, Yakubu Dzarma.

Rev. Anto was later released on health grounds.

The sad incident happened on Monday. TEKAN General Secretary, Rev. Moses Ebuga, told newsmen in Jos on Tuesday that the three men were kidnapped in Kaduna.

Dr. Dziggau is also the president of Haddiyar Ekklesiya Kristi A Nigeria (United Church of Christ in Nigeria) and the TEKAN/ECWA bloc leader in the Christian Association of Nigeria.

The three men were said to have been kidnapped at the church crusade ground along the Kaduna-Abuja highway on Monday morning.

It was learnt that the masked gunmen stormed the crusade ground and picked the three men while other church members fled.

The General Secretary of the church and one of the eyewitnesses, Rev Jibrailu Wobiya, who confirmed the abduction to one of our correspondents, said Dziggau and some members were at the area to clear the crusade ground for a forthcoming church programme.

Ebuga called on the Federal Government and security operatives to do everything possible to ensure the safety of the clergymen.

He said the kidnappers had contacted him and demanded a ransom of N100m.

Ebuga said the men might have been kidnapped because of the oncoming CAN national election.

He added, “We are not ignorant of the recent scheming against the Nigerian church with regard to the upcoming CAN national election, where the leaders have become the subject of attacks, particularly the leadership of TEKAN/ECWA bloc in CAN.

“As a body, we are calling on the government to do everything possible to ensure the safety of the leaders, unearth their whereabouts and to have the perpetrators fished out."

The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Kaduna State, Rev. George Dodo, described the pastors’ abduction as “unpleasant and shocking.”

Police PRO in Kaduna, Abubakar Zubairu, did not return repeated telephone calls to his mobile.