Former Dunamis pastor Hills Emmanuel found dead

A former Dunamis Church pastor, Hills Emmanuel, has been found dead after he was abducted by suspected gunmen along the Barkin Ladi-Bokkos road in Plateau State.

Emmanuel, a Ghanaian-Nigerian cleric and founder of The Wonderful Grace of God Evangelical Ministry in Bokkos, was abducted on Friday, August 28, alongside Pastor Gabriel Joseph Dipak of the Christ Apostolic Church, according to reports.

The two pastors were travelling from Jos to Bokkos when their commercial minivan was intercepted by gunmen who reportedly mounted a roadblock along the Barkin Ladi-Bokkos road.

Witnesses identified the attackers as suspected Fulani militants and said the roadblock was less than a mile from military checkpoints on both sides of the road.

The gunmen reportedly stopped the vehicle, which was carrying nine passengers, and dragged Emmanuel and Dipak out.

According to witnesses, the attackers also seized phones and cash from the other passengers before allowing them to leave.

Police later reportedly recovered the stolen items at the scene.

Emmanuel’s body was found early on Saturday, August 29, near the area where the abduction took place.

Dipak remained in captivity as of noon on Saturday.

The abductors had reportedly contacted his family, although their demands had yet to be ascertained at press time.

The killing came amid a series of other attacks reported across Plateau State on the same night.

At about 9 p.m., a woman was killed in Fang village, Bachi District of Riyom Local Government Area.

Two other people were killed in Radura village, Fann District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.

At least one person was also injured in an attack on Chakfem village in Mangu Local Government Area.

The incidents occurred within about 10 to 20 miles of one another.

Those reporting the attacks alleged that the same suspected group was responsible and that Christians were targeted.

The latest incidents add to persistent insecurity in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where communities have suffered repeated killings, abductions and displacement.

While the violence has often been linked to farmer-herder disputes and wider insecurity, affected communities and advocacy groups have repeatedly alleged deliberate attacks on predominantly Christian settlements.