Some yet-to-be-identified gunmen suspected to be bandits on Friday burnt down the parish house of Saint Raphael’s Catholic Church in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State, leaving a seminarian dead in the process.
An eye witness who witnessed what happened told reporters that the bandits in their large numbers stormed the Saint Raphael Parish at Fadan Kamantan, Kafanchan Diocese last night and set the building ablaze alongside a vehicle parked on the premises.
Sources said the late seminarian, Stephen Danlami, died from the smoke he inhaled while trying to escape from the raging fire, while other priests inside the parish house were said to have escaped.
Shortly after the incident, police authorities in the state said it had launched a manhunt for the assailants.
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The spokesman of the Kaduna State Police Command Manir Hassan said the bandits stormed the worship centre in droves.
According to him, while the assailants could not enter the main building, they set the house on fire alongside a motorcycle and vehicle part on the premises.
The police spokesman corroborated eyewitness accounts that the victim died due to the smoke he inhaled while trying to escape from the burning building.
This is coming barley one week after nine worshippers have been confirmed to be killed following an attack by suspected terrorists in the Saya- Saya community in Ikara Local Government of Kaduna State.
Alhassan Muhammed who is the member representing Ikara local government at the state’s House of Assembly, said the assailants attacked two communities.
‘The sad incident happened on Friday after Insha’i prayer, the gunmen invaded the Saya- Saya town on a motorcycle with sophisticated weapons.’
‘They started shooting inside and outside the mosque during the night prayer, killing seven people inside the mosque and two others in the neighbourhood.
‘The Kaduna State government, the local government councils and other stakeholders are on top of the situation to prevent the recurrence of the ugly incident,’ the lawmaker said.
A witness, Dan-Asabe Ikara, said two other people were killed by the same attackers at Tashin Dauda – a neighbouring community while fleeing from the scene of the attack.