Dauda Bature, a pastor of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Nariya, Igabi LGA of Kaduna state, has been killed by bandits.

Bature was abducted on his farm on November 8.

His abductors were said to have demanded N5 million ransom, and after negotiations with his family, his wife reportedly delivered an undisclosed amount of money to the bandits for his release.

She was, however, abducted by the gunmen after they collected the ransom.

She was later released on December 6 and asked to go raise more money to secure the freedom of her husband.

Joseph Hayab, chairman of Kaduna state branch of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), confirmed the killing of the clergyman.

“It was yesterday (Friday) that the information came when our pastors were at a conference, and the leaders of the church went to officially tell the wife that her husband is no more so that they don’t continue negotiations with the bandits,” Hayab said.

“What this means is that the bandits have become so cruel and brutal to their victims. They no longer have mercy.

“It shows our government needs to triple what it’s doing. These people cannot be defeated through rhetoric but by a superior fire. Despite the measures taken, they continue their wickedness.”

In another development, eight people were abducted by bandits in Sabon Tasha, Oil Village, and Anguwan Bulus areas of Kaduna, on Saturday.

The bandits were said to have invaded Sabon Tasha GRA and Anguwan Bulus at the same time.

Residents said the bandits were repelled by soldiers who responded to their distressed calls.

“The bandits broke into a house at Tanko Kokwain Street, but when they discovered that there was no one in the house, they set it ablaze,” a resident said.

“They came in large number and were shooting indiscriminately, some of them were wearing military uniforms.”

In the attack on Oil Village, a woman and her four children were abducted while in Anguwan Bulus, a police officer, his wife, and son were kidnapped.

Confirming the attacks, Mohammad Jalinge, police spokesperson, said the bandits invaded the areas around 1 am on Saturday.

“The Kaduna police command, through divisional police officer Sabon Tasha division, Kaduna acted on a distress call received from a good Samaritan to the fact that some suspected armed bandits numbering about 30 with some in military gears and bearing dangerous weapons, were making ferocious effort to break into a residential area at Sabo GRA in Chikun LGA of the State in an attempt to commit heinous crime,” he said.

“On receiving the distress call, operatives were immediately mobilized with the support of other security agents to the scene with a view to thwart the bandit’s intention.

“The criminals, on sensing the presence of security agents, started shooting indiscriminately.

“The criminals being frustrated by the police and other security agents set the residence on fire and flee for their lives.

“Unfortunately, it was discovered that the bandits operated simultaneously with one at oil village in the same Sabo location where they kidnapped a woman and her four children to an unknown destination.”

He added that the police have commenced investigations into the two incidences and efforts are being made to rescue the victims.

The Cable