CV NEWS FEED// A Nigerian priest from the Diocese of Sokoto was released more than two weeks after he was initially kidnapped.
Father Mikah Suleiman, pastor of St Raymond’s Catholic Church, in Damba, Zamfara State, was kidnapped on Saturday, June 22, according to a press release by Aid to the Church in Need International (ACN).
Father Suleiman was threatened with death, though he is now in good health.
During his captivity, a video was released in which Father Suleiman stated, “[The bandits] told me that killing a person is not difficult for them,” adding, “Please save my life in the name of God. Look at my head, look at my legs. I was tied to a [rope] and I am the only one in this place. Normally, if they kidnap somebody they don’t waste time.”
Sokoto Diocese’s bishop, Most Reverend Matthew Kukah, announced Father Suleiman’s release, and then said, “Thank you so much [to] the entire ACN family. Your love and support mean so much.”
Father Suleiman added, “I want to thank you for your prayers and your support towards my rescue. By the grace of God, I am out of the hands of the bandits. Thank you very much.”
The kidnapping of Catholic priests and religious sisters have become a pervasive issue in Nigeria, especially in the North (where the Sokoto diocese is located.) Vatican News reports that these gang-related crimes threaten national security, with bandits coming in from neighboring countries.
Father Michael Umoh, who is the Director of Communications for the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, said that, “We must all acknowledge that our brothers, particularly in the northern part of Nigeria, are Catholic heroes, beginning from our bishops.”
