Gunmen who kidnapped retired Reverend Filibus Bamai of ECWA Church, Matuak Rimi, in Moro’a Chiefdom of Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State have demanded N1 million ransom before releasing him.

A source close to the church made the disclosure in Manchok on Tuesday.

The source said that Bamai, who retired from service on December 17 after clocking 65 years of retirement age, was kidnapped on Sunday at 12:50 a.m. in his house.

The source said that the cleric was whisked away with only boxers on him while his wife was severely beaten with a stick and left with a cut on her head and bruises on her back.

It said that the kidnappers first demanded N5 million for his release, adding that as of Monday, they reduced the ransom to N1 million.

A cleric said that so far, about N300,000 had been raised and called on security agencies to beef up security in the area to protect lives and property.

The spate of kidnappings is on the increase in rural communities where kidnappers take advantage of the poor security situation to kidnap victims at will.

Recall that a prominent farmer in Pari village in the Chawai chiefdom of Kauru Local Government of Kaduna State, Mr Sunday Bage, was kidnapped barely a week ago along with his wife, Listu.

Contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mansir Hassan, said he would call the District Police Officer in the area but had yet to get across as of the time this report was filed.

(NAN)