The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on Wednesday condoled with the leaderships of the Roman Catholic Church and the Nigerian Baptist Convention over killing of two clerics.
The CAN President, Samson Ayokunle, in a statement signed by Adebayo Oladeji, Special Assistant, Media and Communications to the CAN president, in Abuja condemned their killings.
Mr Ayokunle said the clerics were killed by some unknown gunmen in Abuja and Kaduna State.
He added that the late Michael Akawu was reportedly shot dead by identified gunmen in Gwagwalada, Abuja, while shopping on August 18.
“Few hours later, on Sunday, August 19, at about 1.00 a.m, according to informed sources, some hoodlums suspected to be Fulani terrorists attacked Nasara Baptist Church in Guguwa near Rigasa in Kaduna.
“The suspected terrorists shot dead Rev. Hosea Akuchi and took away his wife, Mrs Talatu Akuchi.
“Her whereabouts remain unknown and the criminals have demanded for the sum of five million naira for her release,” he said.
Mr Ayokunle said that Mr Akawu, was ordained as priest on February 4, 2017 by the Archbishop of Abuja, John Onayeikan and was the first FCT indigenous Catholic priest to be ordained.
The CAN president prayed to God to comfort and console the Roman Catholic Church in Nigeria and the Nigerian Baptist Convention, the churches where they were serving with their immediate families.
He, however, called on the Nigeria Police and other relevant security agencies to do whatever it takes to bring the culprits to book and rescue the widow of the late Akuchi as soon as practicable.
“We once again call on our security agencies to be more proactive and invest more on intelligence gathering with a view to preventing many of these crimes that are being committed before their watches undetected,” he said.
(NAN)
