32 Pastors, 1 Imam Kidnapped in 1 Year

It was not safe for religious clerics to practise their faiths in some parts of the country in the last one year as prowling kidnappers targeted their obnoxious trade at these men and women of God, investigations by Daily Trust on Sunday have shown. 2 kil

No fewer than 33 clerics were kidnapped in the last one year, with over N700million demanded in ransom, according to findings by Daily Trust on Sunday. While some of the victims lost their lives in the process, others who regained freedom have been subjected to post-traumatic stress disorder.

The most recent victim of incidents of kidnapping targeted at clerics during the period under review was a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) at Isawo, Ikorodu Lagos State.

Pastor Olukayode Bajomo was reportedly kidnapped in the early hours of Sunday, July 24, 2016 while he was preparing for the workers’ meeting.

According to reports, some people suspected to be Ijaw militants came in on the fateful day, pretending to be members who had come to worship, only to pull out guns and whisked him away. A church member, Williams, said the pastor was abducted about 7a.m on that fateful day around Santos Bus Stop, Isawo. The workers’ meeting always holds before the day’s service; hence the pastor had to be in church much earlier.

Williams said: “He (Pastor Bajomo) was busy preparing for the meeting, when suddenly, some people came in, dressed in beautiful attires. They were taken for members who had come to worship. It was not until they pulled out guns before it dawned on us that they were militants.”

The abductors later demanded N100m from the victim’s family, but it was not clear whether his freedom was based on payment of the demanded ransom.

Pastor Bajomo was lucky to have survived to tell his story. But it was not so with the parish priest of St. Bernard’s Catholic Church, Okpoka in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State who was kidnapped on Sunday, April 24, 2016.

After spending over two months in captivity, The Reverend John Adeyi, who was abducted at Odoba village, along the busy OtukpoEnugu road after successfully mediating in a crisis between parishioners and the parish priest of Odoba at the behest of the Catholic Bishop of Otukpo, Bishop Michael Apochi, was reportedly killed by his abductors.

It was reported that after his abduction, the kidnappers made an overture to his family, demanding N2m ransom. Although the said amount was said to have been paid for his release, the abductors held on to him until his corpse was eventually discovered behind the Otukpa, Ogbadibo Local Government Council secretariat.

The same fate befall Rev. Iliya Anto , who was kidnapped along with the president of the United Church of Christ in Nigeria, also known as HEKAN, The Rev. Emmanuel Dziggau and Rev. Yakubu Dzarma on March 2, 2016, along the KadunaAbuja expressway, where they had gone to check a piece of land for the church seminary. However, while Dziggau and Dzarma regained their freedom after 10 days in captivity, Anto, who is also HEKAN’s vice president, was found dead.

The deputy secretary-general of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Adam Idoko, was also kidnapped within the period in review. Idoko, who is also the chief imam of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, was reportedly abducted in his village, Ogrute Enugu-Ezike in Nsukka, Enugu State on September 3, 2015.

Although the abductors of the scholar allegedly demanded a N20m ransom, it was not certain whether his release was based on the payment of the amount.

Within the same period, two ministers of God, Venerable J.B Lawson and Venerable Isobo Dokubo of the African Church were kidnapped in Port Harcourt. They were reportedly abducted by gunmen along Emohua-Kalabari road on their way to Port Harcourt after a church assignment in Kalabari area of Rivers State.

The Arch. Bishop of the African Church, Rivers Province, The Reverend Dokiboeria Kaladokubo, later told journalists that the kidnappers were demanding a N25m ransom. He called for their unconditional release, as according to him, the church did not have money for ransom.

A new twist was later added to the saga when reverend sisters were, on May 15, last year, reportedly kidnapped alongside their driver in the Kajola area of Ondo State. The nuns, attached to the St. Louis Ville Catholic School, Kaduna State, Apo Perpetual and Roseline Familade, with their driver, Zwugwa Zibai, were said to be on their way to Ijebu Itele, Ogun State for a meeting when their vehicle broke down on the way.

While they were trying to fix the problem, their abductors reportedly swooped on them and whisked them to an unknown destination and demanded a ransom of N20m.

After spending one week in the den of kidnappers they were rescued by a team of police in the state and men of the intelligent squad sent from Abuja by the then Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Solomon Arase.

Various reports from May, 2015 to July, 2016 showed that no fewer than 33 clerics were abducted in different parts of the country and N725m demanded as ransom. It was, however, difficult to ascertain the actual amount paid to secure the release of the victims.

An analysis of the incidents shows that Kogi State recorded the highest number of cases as five clerics were kidnapped within the period under review. A total of N51m was demanded as ransom.

Imo and Rivers recorded three cases each within the period. While no ransom was recorded in Imo, the sum of N25m was demanded as ransom in one of the cases recorded in Rivers State.

Kaduna and Ondo states recorded two incidents each within the period in review. The sum of N52 m ransom was demanded in one of the cases. In Ondo, no case of ransom was recorded.

Kebbi, Cross River, Enugu, Edo, Benue, Abia, Kano, Lagos and Ekiti states recorded one incident each, with a combined sum of about N407m recorded as ransom. The highest ransom of N200m was demanded in Ekiti, N100m in Lagos, while Cross River State recorded a ransom of N80m. Kano State recorded a ransom of N20m, Benue N10m, while Kebbi State recorded N7m as ransom, demanded in the one incident in the state. No ransom was recorded in the incidents that occurred in Enugu, Edo and Abia.

A further analysis of the incidents shows that apart from Sheikh Adam Idoko of the NSCIA, other victims were Christians. And most of the Christian victims were of the Catholic denomination.

Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Hassan Kukah, described the incidents as national tragedy, saying it does not matter whose faith was involved.

Bishop Kukah further said that Catholic clerics were the most targeted because the church had a wide spread, adding, “We remain relentless in our undertaking.’’

While appreciating the efforts of security operatives in tackling the menace, Kukah said: “Our only weapon is prayers.”

Asked whether clerics should start carrying guns for selfprotection, he said: “I don’t think the best option is to start carrying guns. It is the responsibility of government to provide security needs.”

The position of law on kidnapping

Kidnapping is not contained in the exclusive list of the Nigerian constitution; therefore, it is the state Houses of Assembly that have the powers to enact such laws. Along this line, many state governments have enacted laws that prescribed capital punishment on kidnapping. For instance, in 2013, Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State approved death penalty for kidnappers. His Edo State counterpart, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, also approved capital punishment for kidnapping in 2013.

The Delta State House of Assembly also passed the AntiKidnapping Bill 2013, imposing a death sentence on any person convicted of the crime. In 2009, kidnapping was made a capital offence in six states: Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo.

Only recently, the Cross River State governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, signed into law, a bill that prescribes death penalty for convicted kidnappers in the state. The law also empowers the state to seize assets, as well as freeze accounts belonging to convicted kidnappers and those who aid and abet the crime. Similarly, the Kogi State Executive Council recently approved death penalty for kidnapping and other related criminal activities in the state. But despite all these laws, no kidnapper has faced the ultimate penalty.