The abduction of yet another priest shook the Catholic community in Nigeria. Mikah Suleiman, the parish priest of St. Raymond’s Church in Damba, Zamfara State, in northwestern Nigeria, was kidnapped. Armed men broke into the rectory in the early hours of Saturday, June 22, and took Father Mikah with them.

“We call on all believers in Christ and all men and women of good will to pray earnestly for his immediate and safe release. We entrust him to the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Priests, for his immediate release from the hands of his captors.”

A statement from the Diocese of Sokoto notes:

The identity and motives of the gunmen are unknown, and the search for Rev. Mikah Suleiman is still ongoing. He is the third priest kidnapped this June in Nigeria. Father Gabriel Ukeh was kidnapped on June 9 and released on June 10. Father Christian Ike, a parish priest in Ajalli, was kidnapped along with another person on June 16 and is still held captive by his kidnappers.

Source: Agenzia Fides