VATICAN (CNS): Father Joseph Aketeh Bako parish priest of St. Jospeh’s Church, the Archdiocese of Kaduna, Nigeria, who was kidnapped on March 8, died while in captivity, according to archdiocese.
In a statement published on May 12 by Fides, Father Christian Okewu Emmanuel, the archdiocesan chancellor, said Father Bako died “at the hands of his captors between April 18 and 20, 2022.”
Father Bako was taken after armed terrorists attacked the parish rectory in Kudenda, a village outside Kaduna.
According to Father Emmanuel, Father Bako’s brother, who was visiting him the night of the kidnapping, was killed “in his presence” by the attackers.
At the time of the kidnapping, Father Bako had been ill for some time and, after witnessing his brother’s death, “his condition worsened and he died,” the chancellor said.
“We have not recovered the body, but we have confirmation of death. The people who were kidnapped with [Father Bako] saw him die,” he said.
Another priest, Father Felix Zakari Fidson of the Diocese of Zaria, in the state of Kaduna, was kidnapped on March 24, but was reported to have been released, Fides reported on May 7.
Kidnappings are often used by terrorists in the country as a means of extorting money from families, the government and churches. In late April, Nigerian lawmakers passed a bill amending the country’s terrorism laws and preventing the paying out of ransoms.
If signed into law by the country’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, the legislation would make the paying out of ransoms punishable with up to 15 years in prison.
Lawmakers say the measure is meant to prevent money laundering by terrorist organisations in the country, But human rights organisations argue that it does little to solve the problem.
Osai Ojigho, director of Amnesty International in Nigeria, told the Associated Press on April 28 that the bill creates “more opportunities for further violations of people’s rights.”
Ojigho said authorities should instead combat the root cause of kidnappings rather than “criminalising family members who are distressed by the abduction of their loved ones.”
