Adamawa: Arrested kidnapper Of Our Clergymen Not a Mass Servant, But Church Member – Bishop Mamza Clarifies

Adamawa: Arrested kidnapper of our clergymen not a mass servant but church member – Bishop Mamza clarifies.

From Umar Dankano, Yola.

The Catholic Diocese of Yola has debunked the news making the rounds that, the arrested kidnapper involved in the abduction and demand of ransom against two Catholic priests of the church is a mass server insisting that he is only a church member.

Bishop of the Yola Catholic Diocese, Most Rev.Stephen Dami Mamza made the clarification at a press conference in Yola Monday lamenting that media space was awahed with wrong notion that the mastermind of the abduction is a mass server of the church which he refuted outrightly saying “the kidnapper (Taledo Demian Jonathan) is not a mass server or cleric but a church member”.

Bishop Mamza further revealed that, the operatives of the Department of the state Security service, DSS and members of the Vigilante in Numan local government area were the people that trailed the alleged kidnapper (Taledo Demian) when he was tricked into move for payment of ransom to secure the release of the abducted Catholic priests.

“The fact is that,it was the operatives of the DSS and members of the Vigilante group in Numan that played the role of securing the release of the two priests by trailing the kidnapper’s house where they were locked up.

“We really appreciate the moral and professional commitment exhibited by these gallant members of the DSS and vigilante in tracking the kidnapper from the beginning up to the time he was pursued in the process of collecting the ransom to the last scene he surrendered himself.

“It is worthy of note to know that our rescued Reverend fathers; Rev father Mathew David Dusami of Yola Catholic Diocese and Rev.father Abraham Sammani of Jalingo Diocese are in stable condition after undergoing a medical check up”. Mamza explained.

It could be recalled that the rescued clergymen were abducted in Numan on the 22nd February 2025 and taken to the bush but later blindfolded and brought back to the kidnapper’s house in Numan while negotiations for ransom to effect their release was initiated as N10 million was settled until the magic was done by the DSS and vigilante members on Sunday 09 March 2025.