It was yet another killing spree for gunmen in parts of northern Nigeria, as they killed a Catholic Priest and the first son of an Emir.
They also abducted a number of victims.
In Katsina State, the gunmen on Thursday night killed Rev Father Alphonsus Bello at the Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church Malunfashi in the state. They also kidnapped another priest, Rev. Fr. Joe Keke.
The National Social Communications Director, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Padre Mike Umoh, confirmed the incidents on Friday. He said the bandits dumped the lifeless body of Father Alphonsus Bello in the farmland behind the Catechetical Training School, Malunfashi while the whereabouts of Fr. Joe Keke were still unknown.
Also, the Director of Communications for Sokoto Diocese, Rev. Fr. Chris Omotosho, in a note to the national communications office of Catholic Secretariat in Abuja further confirmed the incident.
Last night, one of the parishes of the Sokoto Diocese – St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church Malunfashi, in Katsina state – was attacked by unknown gunmen.
“Two priests were kidnapped, Frs. Joe Keke and Alphonsus Bello. Fr Keke, the former parish priest, is in his late 70s while Fr. Bello, the current parish priest, is in his 30s.
“The lifeless body of Rev. Fr. Alphonsus Bello was found this morning, Friday, May 21, 2021, on the farmland behind the Catechetical Training School, Malumfashi in Katsina State, which is part of Sokoto diocese under Bishop Matthew Kukah. However, the whereabouts of Fr. Joe Keke are still unknown. No contact has been made thus far,” he said.
He said the attack was carried out at about 11.30 pm and that Fr. Alphonsus Bello was the parish priest of St. Vincent while Fr Joe Keke, 75 years, was a priest in residence.
In Kontagora, Niger State, bandits on Thursday also killed Alhaji Bashar Saidu Namaska, the eldest son of the Emir, on his father’s farm.
Bashar, who was the Sardauna of Kontagora, visited the farm of his sick father located at Masuga village near Kontagora town when he and some workers at the farm were attacked by the bandits.
