Unknown gunmen have again abducted a catholic priest in Taraba State.
The priest, Rev. Fr. Thaddeus Tarhembe, was yesterday, abducted from his parish in Ibi Local Council of Taraba State in the early hours of Sunday.
The abducted priest is the parish priest of St. Ann’s Parish.
His abduction was coming barely a few days after the leadership of the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), alleged that the trend of kidnappings in the state were targeted at the clerics and their family members.
The Guardian learnt that the abduction of the priest came barely two days after four persons were taken away in Pupule Village of Yorro Local Council.
Confirming the development, Director of Communication of the Catholic Diocese of Wukari, Rev. Fr. John Laikei, in a statement, said the priest was abducted at the Rev. Father’s rectory of St. Ann’s Parish, Sarkin Kudu.
Some parishioners who spoke with The Guardian via a telephone, said the kidnappers in their numbers stormed the parish in the early hours of Sunday and made away with the reverend father.
They pleaded with the state government to join forces with the security operatives as a matter of urgency to rescue the cleric from the kidnappers unhurt.
They also called for prayers from all Tarabans, irrespective of religious beliefs, to bring to an end the security challenges presently bedeviling the state.
At press time, many residents in the state, especially from Jalingo, the state capital, are in kidnappers’ dens spread across the nooks and crannies of the state.
Meanwhile, the police in the state said they were yet to get authentic confirmation of the incident from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Wukari, and promised to give updates as soon as the relevant information is made available to the command’s headquarters in Jalingo.
