Catholic Church confirms fresh abduction of two priests in Kaduna by bandits, as Northern Christians protest in Abuja

Catholic Church, through its Chancellor of Kafanchan Diocese has confirmed another abduction of two of its priests by gunmen in Kaduna, Friday night.

This is just as thousands of Northern Christians, Friday, staged a protest march to the Presidential Villa to urge President Muhammadu Buhari to ‘step in and stop the ignoble move’ made by the ruling All Progressives Congress presidential candidate in picking a Muslim running mate ahead of the 2023 General Elections in the country.

According to the Catholic Church, the two priests; Reverend Father John Cheitnum and Reverend Father Donatus Cleopas were abducted by bandits at Yadin Gura in Lere Local Government of Kaduna State.

This is not the first time bandits have targeted Christian clerics in abduction, this year alone.

In a statement confirming the incident, Friday night, Chancellor of Kafanchan Catholic Diocese, Reverend Father Emmanuel Okolo, also disclosed that Reverend Father Cheitnum is the Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Jema’a Local Government Area of the state.

He added that the two priests were kidnapped on Friday, while on their way to a function at the Rectory of Christ the King Catholic Church in Yadin Gura.

The Chancellor, therefore, solicited intense prayers for the quick and safe release of the priests.

It would be recalled that a Catholic priest, Reverend Father Vitus Borogo was killed two months ago while working on his farm at Kujama, when several others have been kidnapped.

Meanwhile, thousands Northern Christians, Friday, marched to the Presidential Villa in Abuja to protest the Muslim-Muslim-Muslim ticket presented by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 General Elections.

The APC had presented Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu/Kashim Ibrahim Shettima ticket as Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates ahead of next year’s poll to the displeasure of Northern Christian members of the party.

To register their grievances, thousands of Christians from the 19 northern states in the country converged on the Presidential Villa, in Abuja, under the auspices of the All Christians Community of Northern Nigeria to deliver a protest letter to the Federal Government against the Muslim-Muslim ticket chosen by the APC.

According to Moses Adams, the group’s leader, “a small handful that have chosen to throw caution to the wind” have insulted Christians’ sensibilities with their ambition.

He pointed out that Nigeria is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious state, with Christianity and Islam serving as the two main religions that have shaped the nation’s way of life since its independence, adding further that succeeding governments have respected the country’s multi-religious nature, particularly during elections to promote balance in the leadership of the country.

“It is unacceptable and a recipe for creating sharp divides between the Muslims and the Christians in the country for the All Progressives Congress (APC) chose its vice presidential candidate while ignoring the Christian community for the 2023 presidential election,” he said.

Adams maintained that the country’s since Nigeria’s restoration to democracy in 1999, all political parties have followed a tradition of partnering Muslims and Christians or Christians and Muslims, which has mostly ensured religious unity in the nation.

Describing the choice of a Muslim-Muslim ticket by the APC as the ‘height of bigotry against Christians,’ Adams noted the party’s choice was even made against the backdrop of other political parties’ presidential teams which had featured a balance of religions.

The group said he decision by the APC is intended to deliberately ‘relegate the Christians in Nigeria into oblivion, which is not in the best interest of the country in this critical juncture of our existence,’ further warning that APC’s action was aimed to spark an unprecedented crisis along ethno-religious lines.

The group, therefore, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to ‘step in and stop the ignoble move made by the party’s presidential candidate.’

“We demand that you immediately extend an invitation to the party’s presidential candidate to promptly retrace his ways,” the group said.