Fatai Ya’u, a herdsman, has narrated how he worked with six others to facilitate the kidnapping of Sylvester Okechukwu, a Reverend Father at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Tachira Village of Kaura Local Government Area, Kaduna State.

Okechukwu was kidnapped on March 4. His body was found the next day.

Ya’u did not mention a motive for the crime. He also denied being armed like the others who partook in the crime.

Eons Intelligence, a security monitoring platform, reported that Ya’u was arrested during a raid on the hideout of Pate Yau, the prime suspect, at a Ruga settlement in Warsa-Piti Village of Lere Local Government Area.

READ ALSO: Catholic Priest Kidnapped on Same Imo Route Colleague Was Abducted in 2023

After their arrest, Ya’u, one of the kidnappers, narrated how he joined Douglas, Okechukwu’s neighbour, to kidnap the Catholic priest from his home in Tachira.

“It was Douglas who called me to come, so we could kidnap the Reverend Father at their house in Tachira. I was sceptical about it, but Douglas insisted that we should do it. I then visited Yahaya, who pleaded that I shouldn’t do such a thing [kidnap someone]. After I returned home, I kept receiving calls from Douglas asking me to come that he had gotten other people who would also help in carrying out the abduction,” Ya’u narrated.

“When I arrived there, I met Douglas with three other people, and so he led us to the house where, upon our arrival, we found the Reverend Father sitting by his room’s door. One of the three people we were together with shot a gun in the air, which prompted the Reverend Father to quickly run into his room.”

“Then Douglas, who masked his face along with another person [from the three people they went there with], followed the Reverend Father into the room, and they brought him out. Two people and I were already waiting outside.

“As we left the house, we were trekking a long way together with the Reverend Father, and before we could reach a nearby stream, Douglas returned and left us. At the same time, we were being chased away by soldiers, and before we reached the stream, they also stopped chasing us. So, we continued our journey until we reached a point where I left the Father with the other three people and returned home the next day.”

When asked if he knew the name of any of the accomplices, Ya’u responded in the negative.

He also said that he did not have any firearm during the kidnapping, unlike the other three whom he knew through herding.