From John Adams, Minna
The Secretary, Minna District Council of ECWA, Reverend Adamu Na’Allah, has revealed how Reverend Jeremiah Ibrahim of the ECWA Church in Chukuba town in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State was killed by armed bandits.
Reverend Na’Allah, who narrated to newsmen in Minna yesterday, shortly after the burial of the deceased on how the incident happened on Thursday last week, said the deceased and his wife, Mary, had gone to Chikuba on the faithful day to harvest some crops from their farm in the village.
He pointed out that the deceased had earlier being transferred out of the town and replaced by another pastor but needed to harvest his crops. According to Na’Allah, a day before they could start the harvesting, bandits came and attacked the pastorium.
The reverend, according to Ibrahim, decided to hide in the ceiling of the house and when he felt everywhere was quite, he came down, not knowing that the bandits were still lurking around the premises. Immediately, the bandits shut him at a close range, resulting in his death.
According to Na’Allah five others, all women, including the deceased’s wife were abducted by the bandits.
The bandits, it was gathered, had demanded for a N50 million ransom before they could regain freedom.
Before the incident, Na’Allah disclosed that seven villagers were kidnapped from Kuchi a neighboring village by the same set of bandits, who later released five of them and killed one because the uniform of a vigilance group was found on him.
Bandits have also made a demand of N1.2million ransom for the remaining victim.
The districts sacretary said another attack on the pastorium at Ka’ala village in Sarkin Power, Munya Local Government Area took place on Sunday night but the resident pastor and his family had already left the building before the attack.
The bandits were said to have destroyed all the property, ransacked the house and took away some valuables.
When asked if they reported the incident to the government, Na’Allah said they did not because previous complains were not attended to by the government and felt there was no need. On Friday last week, 12 people were abducted from Kurbaku, also in Munya Local Government Area .