How ECWA reverend was killed by bandits in Niger State

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 on Monday shortly after the burial of the deceased, how the incident happened on Thursday last week, said the deceased Reverend and his wife Mary had gone to Chikuba on the day of the attack to harvest crops from their farm in the village.

He pointed out that the deceased had earlier been transferred out of the town and replaced by another pastor but that in the meantime he needed to harvest his crops.

According to Na’Allah, a day before they could start the harvest, the bandits came and attacked the pastorium.

The Reverend, according to Na’Allah, decided to hide in the ceiling of the house and when he felt everywhere was quiet, he came down, not knowing that the bandits were still lurking around the premises, who immediately shot him at a close range, resulting in his death.

According to Na’Allah, five others, all women, including the wife of the dead pastor, were abducted by the bandits and taken away.

The bandits, it was gathered, had demanded N50 million in ransom for the release of the abducted people.

Before the incident, Na’Allah disclosed that seven villagers were abducted from Kuchi, a neighbouring village, by the same set of bandits, who later released five of them and killed one because the uniform of a vigilante group was found on him.

Bandits have also made a demand for N1.2 million in ransom for the remaining victim.

The Districts Secretary said another attack on the pastorium at Ka’ala village in Sarkin Power, Munya Local Government Area, took place Sunday night but that the resident Reverend and his family had already left the building before the attack.

The bandits were said to have destroyed all the properties, 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 complaints were not attended to.

On Friday last week, 12 people were abducted from Kurbaku, also in Munya Local Government Area, while a pregnant woman was shot and is currently receiving treatment at a private hospital in Minna.