The cleric, who retired from service on 17 December after clocking 65 years of retirement age, was kidnapped on Sunday at 12:50 a.m. in his house.

Gunmen, who kidnapped a retired reverend, Filibus Bamai of ECWA Church, Matuak Rimi, in Moro'a Chiefdom of Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State, have demanded N1 million ransom for his release.

A source close to the church gave this indication in Manchok on Tuesday.

The source said that Bamai, who retired from service on 17 December after clocking 65 years of retirement age, was kidnapped on Sunday at 12:50 a.m. in his house.

The source said that the cleric was whisked away with only boxers on him while his wife was severely beaten with a stick and left her with a cut on her head and bruises on her back.

According to the source, the kidnappers first demanded N5 million for his release, adding that as of Monday, they had reduced the ransom to N1 million.

A cleric said that so far, about N300,000 have been mobilised and called on security agencies to beef up security in the area to protect lives and properties.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the spate of kidnappings is on the increase in rural communities where kidnappers take advantage of the porous security situation to pick victims at will.

Sunday Bage, a prominent farmer in Pari village in the Chawai chiefdom of Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, was kidnapped barely a week ago along with his wife, Listu.

When contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mansir Hassan, an assistant suprintendent of police, said he was going to call the District Police Officer in the area but had not returned the call.

(NAN)