“With a very heavy heart, I wish to inform you that our dear son, Michael was murdered by the bandits on a date we cannot confirm. He and the wife of a doctor were arbitrarily separated from the group and killed. The Rector identified the corpse this afternoon,” Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto, Nigeria, said in a statement released Feb. 1.

Michael Nnadi was 18 years old.

Information about the woman killed with Nnadi is not yet available.

Nnadi himself was taken by gunmen from Good Shepherd Seminary in Kaduna, around 10:30 pm on Jan. 8.

With him were Pius Kanwai, 19; Peter Umenukor, 23; and Stephen Amos, 23.  The four seminarians were at the beginning of their philosophy studies.

The gunmen, disguised in military camouflage, broke through the fence surrounding the seminarians’ living quarters and began shooting sporadically. They stole laptops and phones before kidnapping the four young men.

On Jan. 20, ACI Africa, CNA’s African news partner, reported that one of the abducted seminarians had been freed by his kidnappers after 10 days in captivity. That seminarian was dumped alongside the highway with extensive injuries, which are believed to have been sustained during the kidnapping. He is now receiving medical treatment.

One of four kidnapped Nigerian seminarians released after suffering serious injuries

On Friday, Jan. 31, an official at Good Shepherd Seminary announced that two more of the kidnapped seminarians had been released. At that time, it was reported that one seminary was still at large, and was presumed to remain in captivity. That seminarian was Nnadi.

In his Feb. 1 statement, Bishop Kukah said that he had to delay the announcement of Nnadi’s death slightly until his mother could be informed.

“We have broken the news to her and I will be with her,” Kukah said Feb. 1.

“The Lord knows best. Let’s remain strong and pray for the repose of his soul,” Kukah added.

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Photo: CNA