Kidnapped Cleric found dead in Kaduna bush

President of the United Church of Christ in Nigeria, Rev. Emmanuel Dziggau and two other clergy men who were abducted along Kaduna-Abuja Express way by armed gun men have regained their freedom after ten days in captivity.


Meanwhile, one of them, Rev. Iliya Anto was found dead in the bush. He was said to have died after he was left in the bush by the kidnappers following his health condition.

Dziggau, Rev. Yakubu Dzarma and Rev.Iliya Anto were abducted on March 21 along the Kaduna-Abuja Express Way where they had gone to clear a piece of land for the foundation of the church seminary.

A top official of United Church of Christ who pleaded anonymity said on Thursday, Dziggau and  Dzarma were freed on Wednesday in the night while the corpses of Rev. Anto was found, almost decomposing in the bush.

According to him, the two clergy men were immediately taken to a private hospital in Kaduna after they were brought to the church along Katsina Road, Kaduna.

“They were not looking too good and as soon as they brought them, a decision was taken that they needed to see a Doctor, so they were taken to a private hospital in Kaduna for medical check-up, but I will not tell you the hospital because they need some rest.

“We don’t want people to disturb them until they are psychologically and physically fit to see people” the source explained.

According to him, “they person who went to collect them drove them on a bike from where they dropped them for four hours before they could reach a motorable road. This is very traumatic and they need some rest.”

The source team explained that Anto’s corpse was found in the bush after he was abandoned by the kidnappers because of his ill health.

According to him, a day after their abduction, the kidnappers had called to inform that Anto was not well and they had dropped him at a location in the bush.

“But when dispatched people to the location to carry him, we couldn’t get him after combing the area. The kidnappers who may have been watching us from their hideout said we sent too many people to pick him, so they refused to give further description of the location and we thought they must have gone with him,” he said.