The body of Alphonse Bello, Father Pastor, was found this morning, May 21, on the farm behind the Malumfashi Catechetical School in Katsina State.
This school is part of the Sokoto Diocese under Bishop Matej Kukah.
Mr Bello’s death was followed by an earlier report by Dean Malumfashi Dean Stephen Ojapa on Friday at around 1:35 p.m. that the presbytery of St. Vincent Ferrer Church has been attacked by about 15 bandits.
During the attack, the bandits took Mr. Bello and Joe Keke, another honorable father, with them.
Chris Omotosho (reverend father), Communications Director of Sokoto Diocese, confirmed the incident in a note to the National Communications Office of the Catholic Communications Bureau in Abuja.
He said the bandit attack took place at around 11:30 pm Thursday and that Bello was a pastor at St. Vincent until his death while Keke, 75, was a priest-in-residence.
The priest’s whereabouts are still unknown. The bandits who kidnapped him have not had contact with the church or his family.
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Gambo Isah, the spokesman for the Katsina Police Chief confirmed the incident to the press
Isah, a police superintendent, said command officers responded to the church’s distress signal from the church after the incident, went on the trail of the bandits only to stumble on Mr Bello’s body.
He said the operatives were following in the footsteps of the kidnappers to save Keke.
Mr Isah said two people suspected of involvement in the kidnapping were arrested as part of an ongoing investigation.
