CITIZENS COMPASS— Gunmen on Tuesday, reportedly abducted a retired pastor, Sunday Agangs, in Farin-Gada community of Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The retired pastor served with the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) which has since confirmed the abduction.
Reports said the abduction occurred at about 5:00 a.m. when the gunmen numbering about six stormed the pastor’s residence and abducted him.
They were said to have forced their way into the house, held the family hostage, and whisked the pastor away to an unknown destination.
ECWA Public Relations Officer, Dickson Auta, confirmed the incident in an interview.
He said “Yes, it’s true. We got a report of the abduction. I’m actually writing a public statement on that, and I will soon release it.”
A family source also confirmed the abduction saying the pastor was whisked away to an unknown destination.
The source added that the gunmen arrived at the house at about 5:00 am when the family were still in bed, adding that they forced their way into the house and held the family hostage before the head of the family was taken away.
“Before the family could raise an alarm, the kidnappers had disappeared with their victim in a car brought by the undesirable elements,” the source said.
Another source indicated that the incident has been reported to security agencies, with efforts ongoing to trace the kidnappers.
As of the time of filing this report, the abductors had not contacted the family or church authorities for ransom.
In a statement titled “ECWA Confirms Attacks on Congregation and Abduction of Pastor, Calls for Calm and Prayer,” the church also raised concerns over a series of attacks on its members in Kwara State and Plateau State.
According to the statement, armed bandits earlier attacked a church service in Oke Oro LCC of Oro Ago, Kwara State, abducting eight worshippers and injuring several others while carting away valuables.
The church further confirmed the abduction of another cleric, Sunday Bobai Agangs, in a related incident.
ECWA leadership urged the public to remain calm and prayerful amid the rising attacks.
“The church is calling on everyone to remain calm but prayerful because God is going to fight His battle Himself. Further updates will be provided as the situation develops.”
—PUNCH
