Unidentified assailants, who kidnapped retired clergyman Rev. Filibus Bamai from the ECWA Church in Matuak Rimi, Moro’a Chiefdom, situated in the Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State, are requesting a ransom of N1 million 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 Dec. 17 after clocking 65 years of retirement age, was abducted on Sunday at 12:50 am in his house.

According to the source, the cleric was carried away with only boxers on him while his wife was severely beaten with a stick and left with a cut on her head and bruises on her back.

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

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

The rate of kidnappings is on the increase in rural communities where kidnappers take advantage of the porous security situation to pick victims at will.

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