THE 17 Southern States CAN has condemned the
kidnapping of the Dean Church of Nigeria
(Anglican Communion) the Archbishop of Niger
Delta Province, Archbishop Archbishop Ignatius
Kattey in Port Harcourt, Rivers State last weekend. In a statement signed by the General Secretary of
the regional group, Rev. Joesph Ajujungwa, CAN
enjoined all Christian faithful in the region and
across the nation intensify their prayers for the
archbishop’s unconditional release. The statement noted that we cannot continue like
this as a nation where people live in perpetual
fear while evil people move about freely, adding
that “we appeal to security operatives and law
enforcements agents in the country to do
everything possible to secure the release of the clergyman without any further delay.” According to him, the spate of kidnapping in the
country has reached an alarming rate and we
hope that his captors will fear God and grant His
servant freedom without any further delay. “We are ready to mobilise Christians to the streets
in protest if he is not released soon. How can the
Church be suffering in the North and in the South
clerics are becoming victims of kidnappers?” he
asked calling on all Christians in the region to rise
against this menace. In a similar development, the head pastor of the
Believers Love World, also known as Christ
Embassy, Bayelsa State chapter, Pastor Joe Agbaje,
has described the kidnapping of clergymen for
ransom by unknown gunmen as evil and
demonic manifestation. Pastor Agbaje condemned the recent cases of
kidnapping of clergy men in some parts of Delta
and Rivers states, saying though the Church has
embarked on intercessory prayers for the
unknown gunmen and those they have abducted,
the issues of kidnapping for ransom is a spiritual problem and must be tackled with prayers from
religious leaders and believers in the country. The pastor, while unveiling a programme of
events by the church to celebrate the 53rd
independence anniversary of Nigeria and the 17th
anniversary of the creation of Bayelsa State, said
the only way to stem the ugly trend of kidnapping
is to intensify prayer and win back those involved to God. He said though the country is witnessing security
and harsh economic challenges, God is working
to resolve the various knotty political and social
issues. The church, according to him, has set aside over
N10 million worth of educational projects in
Bayelsa State with the provision of furniture for
schools, markers and white boards. Similarly, Speaker, Lagos State House of
Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji also condemned
the kidnap of Archbishop Ignatius Kattey and his
wife. In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary,
Mr. Rotimi Adebayo, Ikuforiji described the
scenario as barbaric and dangerous to humanity. According to him, the news of his kidnap is sad
and highly unfortunate not only for Lagos State
legislators but for Nigeria at large, noting that
kidnapping of anybody at all is something that
“ought not to occur in any civilized society today,
not to even talk of kidnapping a man of God. The act of kidnapping Archbishop Kattey and his wife,
Beatrice, is indeed a sacrilege that should be
condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians. Even
in African parlance, such an act has always been
considered as an abomination. “The fact is that such an evil act is capable of
tarnishing the image of our country and driving
investors away from Nigeria. This in turn would
increase poverty and backwardness in the land”,
Ikuforiji added, observing that this unfortunate
incident underscore the reason the lawmakers in Lagos State are calling for State Police in our
polity since it has become obvious that the
Federal Government alone cannot guarantee the
security and safety of all Nigerians with a
centrally-controlled policing system anymore. Notwithstanding the sacrilegious act that they
have already committed, those behind the
dastardly act should show some mercy and
human kindness on the man of God by releasing
him without any further delay, he concluded.
kidnapping of the Dean Church of Nigeria
(Anglican Communion) the Archbishop of Niger
Delta Province, Archbishop Archbishop Ignatius
Kattey in Port Harcourt, Rivers State last weekend. In a statement signed by the General Secretary of
the regional group, Rev. Joesph Ajujungwa, CAN
enjoined all Christian faithful in the region and
across the nation intensify their prayers for the
archbishop’s unconditional release. The statement noted that we cannot continue like
this as a nation where people live in perpetual
fear while evil people move about freely, adding
that “we appeal to security operatives and law
enforcements agents in the country to do
everything possible to secure the release of the clergyman without any further delay.” According to him, the spate of kidnapping in the
country has reached an alarming rate and we
hope that his captors will fear God and grant His
servant freedom without any further delay. “We are ready to mobilise Christians to the streets
in protest if he is not released soon. How can the
Church be suffering in the North and in the South
clerics are becoming victims of kidnappers?” he
asked calling on all Christians in the region to rise
against this menace. In a similar development, the head pastor of the
Believers Love World, also known as Christ
Embassy, Bayelsa State chapter, Pastor Joe Agbaje,
has described the kidnapping of clergymen for
ransom by unknown gunmen as evil and
demonic manifestation. Pastor Agbaje condemned the recent cases of
kidnapping of clergy men in some parts of Delta
and Rivers states, saying though the Church has
embarked on intercessory prayers for the
unknown gunmen and those they have abducted,
the issues of kidnapping for ransom is a spiritual problem and must be tackled with prayers from
religious leaders and believers in the country. The pastor, while unveiling a programme of
events by the church to celebrate the 53rd
independence anniversary of Nigeria and the 17th
anniversary of the creation of Bayelsa State, said
the only way to stem the ugly trend of kidnapping
is to intensify prayer and win back those involved to God. He said though the country is witnessing security
and harsh economic challenges, God is working
to resolve the various knotty political and social
issues. The church, according to him, has set aside over
N10 million worth of educational projects in
Bayelsa State with the provision of furniture for
schools, markers and white boards. Similarly, Speaker, Lagos State House of
Assembly, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji also condemned
the kidnap of Archbishop Ignatius Kattey and his
wife. In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary,
Mr. Rotimi Adebayo, Ikuforiji described the
scenario as barbaric and dangerous to humanity. According to him, the news of his kidnap is sad
and highly unfortunate not only for Lagos State
legislators but for Nigeria at large, noting that
kidnapping of anybody at all is something that
“ought not to occur in any civilized society today,
not to even talk of kidnapping a man of God. The act of kidnapping Archbishop Kattey and his wife,
Beatrice, is indeed a sacrilege that should be
condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians. Even
in African parlance, such an act has always been
considered as an abomination. “The fact is that such an evil act is capable of
tarnishing the image of our country and driving
investors away from Nigeria. This in turn would
increase poverty and backwardness in the land”,
Ikuforiji added, observing that this unfortunate
incident underscore the reason the lawmakers in Lagos State are calling for State Police in our
polity since it has become obvious that the
Federal Government alone cannot guarantee the
security and safety of all Nigerians with a
centrally-controlled policing system anymore. Notwithstanding the sacrilegious act that they
have already committed, those behind the
dastardly act should show some mercy and
human kindness on the man of God by releasing
him without any further delay, he concluded.
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