Suspect: Why I kidnapped Kaduna Catholic priest

A prime suspect (name withheld) in the kidnapping and killing of a Catholic priest in Kaduna State, Rev. Fr. Sylvester Okechukwu, has disclosed reasons for kidnapping the cleric.

The suspect spoke at the Headquarters of the Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), where he is currently being held in Jos, the capital of Plateau State, on Thursday, March 27, 2025.

The chief suspect is helping detectives to unravel the cause of the incident and how to arrest other suspects now on the run.

Okechukwu, a priest of the Catholic Diocese in the Kafachan area of Kaduna State, was abducted at his residence in Tachira, Kaura Local Government of the state, at about 9 p.m. on March 4.

He was later found dead on March 5.

The prime suspect, however, said he needed N200,000 to solve a personal problem.

The suspect, who said he invited other criminals from elsewhere to accomplish the assignment, denied asking his colleagues to kill the priest.

He said: “Fr Okechukwu is living in our house at Tachira and I masterminded his kidnap because I needed N200,000 to solve a personal problem.

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“I invited some guys (colleagues) from other places to assist me to accomplish the mission but I didn’t ask them to kill him.

“I don’t know why they killed him; I was not with them because I later left them with the priest.”

Another suspect (name withheld), who is also being held at OPSH, said the prime suspect called him to assist him to actualise the crime.

He disclosed: “At first, I refused to be part of the deal but the chief suspect insisted. The chief suspect and I grew up in the same community.

“So, on the said date, I left my place in Warsa-Piti in Lere LG and participated in the kidnap of the priest.

“He actually contacted other guys from Bokkos in Plateau who came with guns; after we took the priest and walked for some distance, we left him with them.

“So, we can’t say how and why they allegedly killed the priest.”

An official of the OPSH, who preferred anonymity, said the suspects were arrested on Tuesday, following a raid troops conducted in a settlement at Warsa-Piti community of Lere.

The official disclosed that investigations were ongoing to unravel the whereabouts of the remaining persons who allegedly participated in the kidnapping and killing of the Catholic priest.

The Star