Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
A pastor abducted in Plateau State has been found dead, in a grim development that has renewed concerns over insecurity in the region.
Pastor Hills Emmanuel was reportedly seized on Friday alongside Pastor Gabriel Joseph Dipak while travelling from Jos to Bokkos.
Gunmen set up a roadblock on the Barkin Ladi–Bokkos road, witnesses said less than a mile from military checkpoints, and pulled the two pastors from a minivan carrying nine people.
Emmanuel’s body was discovered on Saturday near the abduction site. He was a former Dunamis pastor and founder of The Wonderful Grace of God Evangelical Ministry in Bokkos.
Dipak remained in captivity as of Saturday, with his abductors having contacted his family.
The same night, further attacks were reported across Plateau, with at least four more people killed in separate incidents across three local government areas.
The killings have reignited fears over the safety of travellers and worshippers in Plateau, a state that has witnessed repeated outbreaks of violence in recent years.
Campaigners have accused mainstream media and public figures of failing to give sufficient attention to the persecution of Christians in Nigeria, with supporters urged to “keep praying for the persecuted church.”
