AFRICA/NIGERIA - The faithful pray for the prompt release of Fr. Amadasun Idahosa, victim of kidnapping for extortion

Abuja (Agenzia Fides) - Thousands of Catholic faithful yesterday trooped down to churches across Edo State to offer special prayers for the release of Rev. Amadasun Idahosa who was kidnapped a few days ago along the Benin-Auchi road by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
Rev. Amadasun, a former administrator at the Holy Cross Cathedral, Benin city was on his way from the Edo State capital to the university town of Ekpoma where he teaches at the major seminary in Uhiele Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area when the armed herdsmen abducted him.
Several persons who were also kidnapped by the gunmen during the operation last Thursday, July, 9 and marched into the forest are still being held pending the payment of a handsome ransom by either their families or friends before letting go of them.
The catholic faithful in the state embarked on intensive prayers to force his abductors to urgently release him unconditionally as there is a directive by the catholic mission in the world not to give a ransom to kidnappers if any priest or church worker is kidnapped.
According to the Nigerian press, at least 30 other people were kidnapped on 12 July in the State of Kaduna, by heavily armed men, who passed themselves off as policemen, who carried out checks along the bridge that connects the city of Kaduna and Millennium City. A person who tried to escape the kidnappers was killed.
Faced with the wave of kidnappings for extortion purposes in different areas of the Country, the Federal Senate approved a bill that amends the penal code, bringing the sentence for kidnapping to 10 years to life in prison.
According to the 2019 report on extortion kidnappings by the company Constellis, which provides risk management services, Nigeria is one of the four Countries that recorded 40 percent of global kidnapping cases in 2019. The other Countries are Cambodia, Togo and the Philippines. According to the report, Africa has the most cases while Europe has the least. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 15/7/2020)

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