TheNewsGuru

Tag: Catholic Priest

  • BREAKING: Catholic priest, catechist, wife, others kidnapped in Kaduna

    BREAKING: Catholic priest, catechist, wife, others kidnapped in Kaduna

    Reports reaching TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) has it that a Catholic Priest, Reverend Father Anthony Dawah has been kidnapped in Kaduna State.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Reverend Father Dawah was kidnapped together with his catechist, the catechist’s wife and a few other of his church members.

    This is coming barely two weeks after a Parish Priest, Reverend Father John Bako Shekwolo of St. Theresa Catholic Church, Ankwa in Kachia Local Government Area was kidnapped in same Kaduna State.

    Dawah is a Reverend Father with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kaduna, the Metropolitan See for the Ecclesiastical province of Kaduna in Nigeria.

     

    Details shortly…

  • Gunmen abduct Roman Catholic priest in Delta

    Gunmen abduct Roman Catholic priest in Delta

    Gunmen have kidnapped the Priest in charge of St. John’s Catholic Church, Obinomba in Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta.

    The priest, identified as Rev. Fr. Harrison Prhinyovaw, was said to have been abducted at about 8:00 p.m. on Monday at a bad spot in Abraka, Ethiope East Local Government Area of the state.

    The victim was said to have been on transit from Warri to his station, Obinomba.

    According to a community source, the cleric was meandering through the bad spot in his Highland SUV in Oria-Abraka when the incident happened.

    “The kidnappers shot sporadically in the air to scare away passers-by at the scene of the operation. They abandoned the cleric’s car at the scene of the incident,” the source said.

    Also, a member of the local vigilante who spoke with journalists on condition of anonymity, said he and his colleagues heard the terrifying gun shots fired by the kidnappers.

    He said that they could not have combated the criminals with their ‘shoot and run’ guns.

    When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), in the state, DSP Edafe Bright, confirmed the incident.

    According to him, a crack team of the police was already on trail of the suspects.

  • Catholic priest, six others die of COVID-19 complications in Benue within seven days

    Catholic priest, six others die of COVID-19 complications in Benue within seven days

    Seven persons, including a Catholic priest Father Kuluke, have died of COVID- 19 complications within one week in Benue State.

    The Chairman of the State Action Committee on COVID-19 and Deputy Governor, Benson Abounu, disclosed this on Monday while swearing-in Justice Aleje as a judge of the Customary Court of Appeal at the Government House.

    “In the last one week, we have recorded mortality here in Makurdi. Every day we recorded mortality, including this morning. A revered father passed on this morning,” he said, adding that the priest died on Monday at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital Makurdi.

    “The other time, within five days, we lost four prominent Benue people. So this variant is not one that anybody should joke with. I always take my time these days to do a small briefing concerning COVID-19 each time I have an occasion like this.”

    The deputy governor said Governor Samuel Ortom has gone into isolation after being in contact with two top aides who had tested positive for COVID-19.

    He revealed that though the governor does not have symptoms of the virus, the move is necessary to prevent the further spread of the virus.

    While warning residents to be weary off and apply extreme caution in their social behaviour, Abounu asked residents of the state not to engage in any form of celebration that could lead to the spread of the virus.

  • Police launch operation to rescue kidnapped Catholic priest in Abuja

    Police launch operation to rescue kidnapped Catholic priest in Abuja

    The Police Command in the FCT, says it has launched operation to rescue a Catholic priest that was kidnapped at Yangoji in Kwali Area Council of the territory on Sunday.

    A statement by the spokesperson for the command, ASP Mariam Yusuf, on Monday, urged residents of the territory to remain calm, assuring them that the priest would be rescued unharmed.

    Yusuf, however, advised them to be security conscious and promptly report all suspicious movements, restating the command’s commitment to the protection of lives and property in the FCT.

  • Catholic priest slumps, dies in the pulpit in Rivers

    Rivers State was thrown into mourning on Sunday as the parish priest of the Saint Helen’s Catholic Church, Ogbogoro, Rev. Fr. Simeon Kuro, slumped and died while celebrating the Mass.

    The incident, it was said happened while Kuro was delivering the homily on the church’s altar in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.

    The middle-aged priest was later rushed the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital by members of his congregation, but he could not be resuscitated by the medical personnel as he was declared dead by doctors.

    A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Southern City News that the priest collapsed shortly after concluding the homily around 10am and was rushed to the UPTH around 10.30am, but was pronounced dead around noon.

    The source said, “I can confirm to you that the priest of St. Helen’s Catholic Church, Rev. Fr. Simeon Kuro, collapsed today (Sunday) after the homily.

    “He was rushed to the UPTH around 10.30am, but was declared dead by a doctor around noon. It is a sad situation.”

    A source at the UPTH confirmed the incident.

    When contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Nnamdi Omoni, said he had not been able to confirm the incident from the Divisional Police Officer covering the area.

    When contacted, the Director of Communications, Catholic Diocese of Port Harcourt, Rev. Fr. Francis Tete, told newsmen he would not be able to speak on the incident immediately.

  • Gunmen kidnap Catholic priest, pastor, 20 others

    Gunmen kidnap Catholic priest, pastor, 20 others

    Gunmen have gone on the rampage and abducted a Catholic priest, a pastor, three congregants, four lectures, 16 students and two school gatemen as well as a farmer in Benue, Niger, Edo and Ebonyi states.

    In Benue State, the gunmen kidnapped Rev. Father David Echioda, the Catholic Priest of Otukpo Diocese in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.

    Also in Niger State, the gunmen believed to bandits abducted a pastor, Reverend Genesis Zaka, and three female members of Kauna Baptist Church, Danazunmi near Grigori in Rafi Local Government Area.

    The bandits also kidnapped five female students, a teacher and two gatemen in Niger State.

    Gunmen also kidnapped four lecturers and 11 students of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) in Edo State.

    On Tuesday, herdsmen kidnapped a farmer, Cosmos Idam, at Amuzu Ezeke Amasiri in Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

    While a combined team of policemen and vigilantes have been able to free the lecturers and students of UNIBEN, others, at press time, were still with their captors.

    Echioda, who hails from Oshugbudu in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State, was abducted on his way from Untokon in Ado Local Government Area of the state on Sunday.

  • Anambra Catholic priest slumps, dies during football match in Asaba

    It was a tragic end during a football match in Asaba, when a Catholic priest at Onitsha Archdiocese, Reverend Father Pius Ukor, slumped and died at the stadium while participating in a football match with the Issele-Uku Delta State Diocesan Priests.

    He was somehow resuscitated by the nurses and rushed to the FMC hospital in Asaba, where he was confirmed dead.

    It was gathered that until his death, Father Ukor was the editor of the Archdiocesan newspaper; Trinitas, as well as the Director of Communication for the Archdiocese Onitsha.

    Father Ukor was the President of Association of Directors of Social Communications from all the Catholic Dioceses and Archdioceses in Nigeria.

    He hailed from Umuoji, in Idemili North Local Government Area of the state and survived by an aged mother, his siblings and other relations.

  • Gunmen kidnap Catholic priest in Kaduna

    A Catholic priest has been kidnapped in Kaduna State, North-west Nigeria.

    John Shekwolo, a reverend father, was kidnapped by armed men in Ankuwa, Kachia Local Government Area of the state, the police said.

    The police spokesperson, Yakubu Sabo, said the cleric was kidnapped at about 8 a.m. on Monday when the gunmen went to his residence and whisked him away to an unknown destination.

    He explained that a team of police officers were mobilised to the village.

    “This with a view to combing the general area for possible rescue of the victim and arresting the criminals. The commissioner of police, Ahmad Abdurrahman, appeals to the general public to assist the police with relevant information that could help in curbing the menace of banditry in the state,” he said

    Earlier, the Archdiocese of Kaduna, Daniel Kyom, in a statement made available to journalists in the state explained that the kidnapped priest was in charge of Saint Theresa Catholic Church, Ankwa, near Kachia.

    “We regret to announce that one of our priests, Rev. Fr. John Bako Shekwolo has been kidnapped by unknown persons.

    “As we ask for the prayers of the faithful of our Archdiocese and beyond the quick release of Fr. Shekwolo, we appeal to the consciences of those who abducted him to kindly release him unharmed,” he said.

    Kidnapping for ransom is high in Kaduna, Katsina and many other states in Nigeria. The victims include clerics across religious divide, business persons, and other residents of the affected states.

     

  • Delta Police confirm abduction of Catholic priest, 1 suspect arrested

    The Delta Commissioner of Police (CP), Muhammad Mustafa, has confirmed the alleged abduction of a Catholic Priest, Very Rev. Father Emmanuel Obadjere, alongside three others in Delta.

    The police boss gave the confirmation on Wednesday when newsmen contacted him on his cell phone in Warri.

    According to him, the police are working hard to rescue the victims, adding that a suspect had been arrested in connection with the crime within the area where the incident happened.

    The victims were alleged to have been kidnapped on Tuesday on their way to Ekpoma in Edo.

    “The kidnappers have started calling, but you know, we do not encourage paying ransom.

    “We will definitely ensure that they are released. One suspect has been arrested within the area of the incident, ” the CP said.

    A reliable source said that the priest was in charge of St. Williams Catholic Church, Orerokpe, the administrative headquarters of Okpe Local Government area of Delta.

    The source added that the kidnappers had established contact with the Catholic Church and including the family members of the victims.

     

  • Gunmen abduct Catholic priest, RCCG pastor in Kogi

    …demand reduced to N8 million

    A Catholic priest, Revd. Fr. Leo Michael was Tuesday evening abducted by unknown gunmen at Irepeni village, Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi State.

    He is the presiding priest at St. Micheal Catholic Church Obajana.

    An unconfirmed source also had it that a yet to be identified pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) was abducted at the same spot and time, while on his way to Okene.

    A Chemistry lecturer with the Kogi State College of Education (Technical) Kabba, Mr. Aronimu Samuel Babatunde was also said to have been kidnapped along the Okene-Kabba road.

    According to Bishop Peter Adinoyi, the Diocesan Chancellor of Lokoja Diocese, the abductors emerged from the bushes near Irepeni village, close to a mounted roadblock, dragged down Fr. Micheal and one other person, believed to be a pastor with the RCCG and dashed back into the bush, leaving the two vehicles parked along the road.

    The Bishop stated that the abductors have established contact with some members of the Church, adding that they have brought down the ransom from N50M to N8m, and threatening they ‘await the worst’ if their demand is not met before 1 pm Thursday.

    He noted that the DSS and the Army have swung into action to track down the perpetrators.

    He lamented that abduction is mostly targeted at the poor, stressing that by now the insecurity of lives and property should have improved but is rather getting worse by the day.

    He called on the government to quickly address the ugly situation.

    The Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) William Aya confirmed the abduction of the Catholic priest.

    He however said that he was unaware of the kidnap of the two others.