Rev. Fr. Solomon Atongo, a Catholic priest serving at St. John’s Quasi Parish in Jimba, was shot by suspected herdsmen on Saturday evening along the volatile Makurdi-Naka road in Benue State.
According to Rev. Joseph Beba, Chairman of the Diocesan Priests, the attack occurred as Fr. Atongo was returning from Naka, the Gwer West LGA headquarters. He was critically injured and rushed to the hospital for urgent treatment. The attackers, believing him dead, abducted the two individuals accompanying him.
The Makurdi-Naka road, now notorious for violence and kidnappings, has seen a sharp decline in use due to persistent threats from armed herders and bandits. The whereabouts of the kidnapped victims remain unknown at the time of this report.