Catholic priest, 10 residents abducted; three killed in Kaduna bandit attack

Gunmen abducted a Catholic priest and 10 residents and killed three people during a pre-dawn attack on Karku community in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Saturday.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Kafanchan confirmed that the victims include Rev. Fr. Nathaniel Asuwaye, Parish Priest of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Karku.

In a statement, the Diocesan Chancellor, Very Rev. Fr. Jacob Shanet, said the attackers struck the priest’s residence at about 3:20 a.m. and took him along with other residents.

He identified the three people killed as Jacob Dan’azumi, Maitala Kaura and Alhaji Kusari.

The diocese called for prayers for the safe return of those abducted and for the families of the deceased.

Reacting to the incident, Chairman of the Northern Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Joseph Hayab, described the attack as troubling and said kidnappings in the region remain frequent despite security efforts. He urged security agencies to step up action to curb the violence and secure the victims’ release.

The Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, did not respond to requests for comment at the time of filing this report.