Another priest was abducted in the Diocese of Sokoto (Nigeria). The Church asks for prayers for the “quick and safe” release of Fr. Mikah Suleiman, parish priest of the Saint Raymond Damba Church, who was kidnapped on 22 June, Saturday.
“This sad event occurred in the early hours of today… in Father’s rectory,” Father Iliya commented on Father Suleiman’s kidnapping, which the diocese made public “with sadness in our hearts.”
“We invite all the faithful of Christ and all men and women of good will to pray fervently for his quick and safe release. We also commend it to the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Priests,” he added.
Nigeria has been battling a rise in violence orchestrated by gangs, whose members carry out indiscriminate attacks, kidnappings for ransom and, in some cases, murder.
The insurgency by the Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram has been a major challenge in the country since 2009, a group reportedly aims to turn Africa’s most populous nation into an Islamic nation.
The latest kidnapping of Father Suleiman follows a series of other kidnappings that have targeted members of the clergy in Africa’s most populous nation.