Gunmen kidnap Baptist pastor, demand N20m ransom within 5 days

Unknown gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted Reverend Elisha Noma of Nagarta Baptist Church, Ungwan Makiri, near Udawa, Chikun local government area of Kaduna state demanding N20 million for his release. 

The abduction is coming barely two weeks after Pastor Jeremiah Omolewa in charge of Living Faith Church, Ungwan Romi, Kaduna, was killed and huge ransom had to be paid to free his abducted wife.

The armed kidnappers, numbering about 20, reportedly stormed the village around 1:30am early Wednesday morning, forced their way into the Pastor’s house and went away with him and his son, Emmanuel Elisha.

The son was later released with a threat to go and raise the sum of N20 million as ransom to secure the release of his father within five days or risk having his father killed.

Emmanuel, while narrating what happened said, “they were about 20 armed men, they came to the village around 1am and started hitting at doors but nobody opened. They then forced their way into houses and vandalised properties. They carted away some valuables including mobile phones and clothings in my mother’s box.

“They picked me together with my father. But after walking a while into the bush, I was released and they went away with my father. One of them was dressed in military camouflage. 

“As they released me, they threatened that if we failed to bring N20 million ransom in five days, they will kill him. We are yet to report to the police because even when we had similar experience in the past and we contacted them (the police), they did not do anything about it. So, it is of no use,” he said.

Meanwhile, Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO) for Kaduna State Police Command, DSP Yakubu Sabo, has yet to respond to message sent to him on the issue. 

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