BY IDIBIA GABRIEL
Shocking details have emerged following the latest attack by bandits on Catholic priests in Kaduna State. In what has been described as a narrative of testimony and miracle, how they dastardly attack, ended up with few casualties in spite of the ferocious nature of the attack, has remained a mystery to local parishioners.
According to a source who spoke with Saturday Times, “the bandits who attacked the priests, Frs. Emmanuel Okolo and Noah Monday, serving the parish of St Raphael Fadan Kamanton, Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan, killed the 25 year old seminarian, Na’aman Ngofe Stephen. He did not survive the gruesome attack, and was buried on 12th September, 2023. The funeral mass was held in the church beside the charred remains of the priests’ residence.
” The initial assumption was that he got trapped and burnt to death in the fire set on the house by the bandits but, the body was discovered to bear gunshot holes at the abdomen which suggests that the bandits already shot him dead in the early stages of the attack as they forced their way into the priests’ house. His hair and most of his body were intact from the inferno. His knapsack bag, slippers, sandals and laptop still in the room, were partially burnt.
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“The value of items lost in the attack cannot be quantified and includes a young life, a car, a motorcycle, four mass boxes, books, certificates, furniture, 3 laptops and 3 TV sets
“Fr Emma did not hide or run away from the attackers. Fr Noah hid himself somewhere within the house. The seminarian was in the bathroom where he was probably shot and left to die in the pool of his blood. Fr alone fought the 11 bandits to a standstill and caused them major casualties. They all had guns of different makes including about 7 AK-47 rifles with which they shot at him furiously and repeatedly but to no avail. He said he thought they shot him 7 times but Fr Noah said he heard more than 30 gun shots; none did him any harm.
“At their frustration and bewilderment, one of the bandits probably a member of his church said “in the name of Jesus, we must kill you, and you must die”. At this point Fr Emma had had enough and yelled in rebuke at the bandit: “which Jesus are you talking about, is it the same Jesus I worship abi the Jesus na your mate?” After some more shooting without success, the leader said in Hausa “ku zo mu tafi, wannan ba mutum ba ne” meaning (come let us go, this one is not a human being”. They left the house hurriedly in fear and trembling carrying their fallen comrades.”
The parishioners also believe that the coordination and knowledge of their way around the house could not have been coincidental. “Someone who knew Fathers and the house very well led them to the attack. They knew their ways around the house.”, a source added.
After the bandits left the scene in total confusion, the priests were said to have called out to one other in the parlour to take stock of survivors. That was when it was confirmed that Brother Na’aman had been killed as he did not show up.
The bandits did not go far but came back in anger and retaliation before escaping into the bushes, to set the house ablaze, hoping they would kill the priests
“The burning down of the Rectory was therefore an afterthought from a vindictive, bruised and defeated set of bandits who used that to cut their loses.
“The Fathers themselves used the same door the Bandits used to run away and escape the raging fire. Fr Noah not convinced, wanted to go back a second time for Brother Na’aman but, Fr Emma stopped him because the fire was already full swing and he would die in it. They literally crawled out of the fire due to the heat coming from the flames.
“Most of the encounter and conversation that Fr Emma had with the bandits, 11 of them right in his bedroom all by himself and his God has been corroborated by Fr Noah who was hiding within the house on that fateful day. They spoke eye ball to eye ball like man to man with bandits.”
The parishioners are however picking holes in the response time of the security agents stationed less than one kilometre from the scene of the crime.
“Interestingly this operation lasted between 8:13pm and 9:30pm. A whooping 1hr 12mins. I saw the soldiers checkpoint that was about 500 meters away from the church where the attack happened. I kid you not, I was there and saw for myself. The entire village was awake due to the jolting sounds of gun fire. How nobody came to help in any way, both soldiers and villagers is also part of the mystery and miracle?”
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