Nigerian Catholic priest kidnapped and killed by captors
One of the two Catholic priests abducted by shooters in the northern Nigerian state of Kaduna has been shot dead by their kidnappers, the Church says.
The other was freed after a ransom was paid, the head of the Kaduna state branch of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev John Joseph Hayab,.
In a statement, the Church said the "decomposing" body of Rev Father John Mark Cheitnum was discovered on Tuesday.
It described the killing as "gruesome murder".
The Church said the cleric was shot dead on Friday the day he was abducted.
However, Rev Father Donatus Cleopas, freed, has been reunited with his family.
The Christian clerics were seized at gunpoint at a rectory in the village of Yadin Garu in Kaduna after having travelled there for a church event.
The kidnappers had demanded a hefty ransom while the police had said efforts were underway to rescue them.
Rev Hayab said a ransom was paid after negotiations - though not the amount initially demanded - and the kidnappers then said where Rev Cheitnum's body could be found.
Since May, around a dozen Christian clerics – most Roman Catholics – have been abducted by shooters across Nigeria.
At least three of them have been killed by their captors.
Hostages are usually released after ransom payments.
This happens when Nigeria grapples with a wave of deadly violence by armed gangs.
Thousands of civilians have either been killed or abducted for ransom since the beginning of this year alone - mainly in the north of the country. President Muhammadu Buhari’s government is facing increasing criticism for failing to tackle the widespread insecurity.
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