A 48-year-old Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Joseph Bako Aketeh, who died in his abductor’s custody in Kaduna state has been laid to rest without his corpse on Tuesday, June 7.
The funeral mass was held at St. John’s Catholic Church Kudenda in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, where he was the parish priest.
During the burial, the Catholic Archbishop of Kaduna, Most Rev Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso, said he has never performed a funeral mass without a corpse before.
The Catholic Archbishop expressed hope that they hoped to see the bones of Reverend Father Aketeh one day.
He said: “This is the first time I am presiding over a funeral mass without the corpse, we hope that one day we would be able to see even if it is his bones.
“Nigerians are worn out due to weeping, our eyes could no longer produce tears. Bandits are terrorising with impunity. Does our government really care about our pains? Something is happening, they have failed us.
“Nigeria is a country where citizens are treated unequally because of religion and ethnicity. Vices has become a value in our country.”
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) recalls that the abducted Catholic Priest died in the hands of his abductors eight weeks after he was kidnapped.
Rev Fr. Joseph was abducted by gunmen from his residence in Kudenda community of Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, on March 8, 2022.
The Catholic priest was kidnapped along with his brother, Sunday Bako, on March 8 when bandits invaded the parish and killed one security guard.
Although it was not immediately confirmed whether ransom was demanded and paid before he was killed.
He was said to have died in the terrorist’s den between April 18 and 19, but his death was not confirmed until Wednesday, May 11.
His death was announced by the Chancellor, Catholic Archdiocese of Kaduna, Rev Fr. Christian Okewu Emanuel, who said he was ill before the abduction and his abductors did not allow him to go with his drugs, adding that. Bako died between April 18 and 20, 2022.
He said Fr. Joseph, 48 was kidnapped from his residence, in St John Catholic Church Kudenda, where he was serving as Parish Priest, on the 8th March, 2022.
“His own brother was killed there in his presence and after his brother was killed his condition worsened and he died,” he said.
He further added that the Catholic Archbishop of Kaduna, Most Rev. Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso, has communicated his deepest sympathies to Fr. Bako’s immediate family and the entire Catholic Community of St John Kudenda; and assured them of his fraternal closeness and prayers.
See photos from the funeral below:
