Four armed men stormed the home of a Catholic priest named Thaddeus Tarhembe in Sarkin Kudu, Ibi Local Government Area, Taraba State, early on Sunday morning, and took him hostage.
The bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Wukari, Most Rev. Mark Nzukwein, confirmed the incident in a statement issued by the diocese’s spokesperson, John Jerome, in Jalingo.
According to the statement, the abductors invaded the priest’s rectory at St. Ann’s Parish around 2:00 a.m. and took him away at gunpoint. The motive and identity of the kidnappers are still unknown, as they have not contacted the diocese or the priest’s family.
The bishop appealed to the public to pray for the safe and speedy release of the priest, who is also a lecturer at Taraba State University. He also urged the security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue him and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The police spokesperson in Taraba, SP Abdullahi Usman, could not be reached for comment on the matter, as he did not answer calls or reply to text messages sent to his phone.