By Iliya Kure
The recent kidnap of President of United Church of Christ in Nigeria, Rev. Emmanuel Dziggau, and two other church members by unknown gunmen in Kaduna, North West Nigeria, is taking another dimension, with rumours making the round, that the act may be related to forthcoming national election of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
But the newly elected Public Relations Officer of Northern CAN, Rev. Joseph Hayab is faulting the rumours saying, “there is no relationship between the two.”
Rev. Emmanuel Dziggau, and two other church members were last Monday kidnapped along Kaduna – Abuja expressway, when the three were clearing the church crusade ground for a coming retreat.
Rev. Hayab’s reasons were based on the fact that the rising insecurity situation in Kaduna State is worrisome, where quite a number of people were frequently being kidnapped.
“With the insecurity cases in Kaduna, how would you relate the two? Even members of his family are faulting that idea, saying if his own is related to the coming national CAN election, what then would you associate the other cases of kidnap to.”
“It is people who think they will not win the election that are trying to associate the kidnap to the coming elections, just to create disaffection among members”
AFRICA PRIME NEWS also observes that it is easy to relate the kidnap with the forthcoming national CAN election because, Rev. Dziggau is the leader of ECWA/TEKAN bloc – one of the five blocs that forms the CAN structure.
Chairman of Northern CAN, Rev. Yakubu Pam called on the kidnappers to release the Christian leaders, saying it was “a shameful act for them to keep men of God for a N100 million ransom”
“This kind of act will keep investors away from coming to invest in the country.” He said.
Similarly, General Secretary of the Fellowship of Churches of Christ in Nigeria (TEKAN), Rev. Moses Ebuga, while addressing journalists in Jos, Central Nigeria, called on the kidnappers to release the victims immediately and unconditionally.
Spokesman of Nigerian Police in Kaduna, DSP Abdullahi Zubairu told AFRICA PRIME NEWS “we received a report of the kidnap and have already sent our men into the surrounding bush where the kidnap took place. As I speak with you, our officers from Abuja and Kaduna are in the area conducting search to rescue this people safe.”
“There is also a recent case of a pastor kidnapped at about 11pm in Kudenda in Kaduna sub urb, when we got that report we swung into action, and we got him back and reunited him with his family.
“There’s also the case of a 70year old man that was kidnapped in Danja [Katsina State], we received the report that the people entered from Kaduna axis. Our officers in Zaria swung into action, and we got the man.
“We are working hard to contain the increasing cases of these kidnappings. We have recently arrested 12 persons and investigation is ongoing, once concluded, they would be charged to court.”
