Gunmen have demanded a ransom of N100 million for the release of Pastor Samson Ndah Ali, a 30-year-old cleric with the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), who was abducted in Maraba Aboro, Sanga LGA of Kaduna state.
Ali was kidnapped from his residence around 1 a.m. on Monday by suspected bandits who reportedly stormed his compound and whisked him away to an unknown location.
Mallam Yusuf Ambi, financial secretary of the church, confirmed the incident and said he had been with the pastor the night before the abduction.
“I rushed to his compound where he stays alone, only to find the doors wide open. I checked all the rooms, but he was nowhere to be found,” Ambi said.
He added that the abductors later made contact with the church and demanded N100 million in exchange for the cleric’s freedom.
According to Ambi, negotiations are ongoing.
He noted that Pastor Ali, from the Danji community in Ungwan Mailafiya, had only been assigned to the church less than two weeks before the incident.
A joint security operation involving the Nigerian Army, police, and the Department of State Services (DSS) has since been launched to track the kidnappers and rescue the victim.
