Gunmen on Monday kidnapped some students of St Albert the Great Institute of Philosophy, a Catholic seminary in Kaduna State.
Emmanuel Okolo, chancellor of the Catholic diocese of Kafanchan in Kaduna, in a statement confirmed that six other seminarians were injured during the attack.
The statement reads, “We announce with unease the kidnap of three major seminarians of the Christ the King Major Seminary. Christ the King Major Seminary, our diocesan major seminary, is domiciled within the St. Albert Institute. It houses mostly the formators and seminarians preparing for the Catholic priesthood,” the statement said.
“The Seminarians receive academic formation from the St. Albert Institute. The event took place on Monday, 11th October 2021 at about 7.26pm, in the Chapel of the Seminary in Fayit, Fadan Kagoma in Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
“As at the time of the attack, 10 formators including the Rectors of the Seminary and the Institute, 132 seminarians, 6 non-seminarians, one female non-academic staff and one steward were on ground.
“Six seminarians sustained various degrees of injuries. A dispatch of soldiers of the Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) was on ground to accompany some formators and the injured seminarians to Salem Hospital in Kafanchan. There, they were treated and discharged after being confirmed to be stable.
“From the narrative of the seminary security agents, the law enforcement personnel and the headcount conducted after Mass on the 12th October, 2021, it was confirmed that three Theology Four seminarians were abducted.
“These seminarians belong to the Apostles of Divine Charity and the Little Sons of the Eucharist Congregation.”
