Kaduna kidnappers are getting deadlier and more ruthless as the corpses of two of their victims were found, yesterday: a seminarian, 18 year-old Michael Nnadi and the beautiful wife of a Kaduna-based medical doctor, Philip Ataga.
The bodies of Mrs Ataga and Nnadi were found dumped by the roadside, meaning they were kidnapped by the same ruthless gang, at different times and different places.
While Nnadi was kidnapped in the night of January 8, in his seminary, Mrs Ataga and her two children were kidnapped on January 24 by armed men from the family’s residence at Juji, in Chikun LGA of Kaduna State.
Her captors were said to have killed her after her family failed to meet their demand of a N150million ransom for the deceased and two of her children who were also abducted.
Mrs Philip Ataga, left; with her two kids, now with the abductors.
“The bandits killed Mrs. Ataga, dumped her corpse, and called her husband and directed him to pick the corpse at a particular location”.
Her corpse was picked and deposited at the mortuary at the Barau Dikko Specialist Hospital, Kaduna.
After killing her, the bandits are still reportedly making a demand of N20million ransom for the release of the children.
Nnadi, whose body was also recovered, yesterday, was one of the four students kidnapped from the Good Sheppard Catholic Major Seminary at Kakau village along the Kaduna-Abuja highway, was found dead in a bush, yesterday.
The four students, including Pius Kanwai, 19, Peter Umenukor, 23, Stephen Amos, 23 were kidnapped from The Good Shepherd Major Seminary, Kaduna.
The gunmen, disguised in military camouflage, broke through the fence surrounding the seminarians’ living quarters and began shooting sporadically.
They stole laptops and phones before kidnapping the four young men.
The Registrar of the seminary, Rev. Fr. Joel Usman, who announced the release of three of the students, last Friday in Kaduna, was hopeful for the return of the fourth student.
But yesterday, Michael Nnadi, the youngest of the four captives was found dead.
The kidnappers had done their worst.
According to the Registrar of the seminary, Reverend Father Joel Usman who confirmed the incident in a statement, the body of the seminarian was found dead inside a bush, yesterday.
In a statement released last Saturday, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah said, “With a very heavy heart, I wish to inform you that our dear son, Michael was murdered by the bandits on a date we cannot confirm. He and the wife of a doctor were arbitrarily separated from the group and killed. The rector identified the corpse this afternoon.
Kukah said that he had to delay the announcement of Nnadi’s death slightly until his mother could be informed.
“We have broken the news to her and I will be with her,” Kukah said.