Mustapha Mohammed, a member of the gang that kidnapped and killed a Nigeria seminarian, Michael Nnadi, said he was killed because he kept preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to the gang.
Nnadi, 18, was abducted alongside three others on January 8 by the armed gang from the Good Shepherd Seminary in Kaduna, North West Nigeria. He was however killed why the others were released. His body was discovered alongside the remains of the wife of a local doctor on February 1.
Mohammed, who is currently in police custody in Abuja, told The Daily Sun newspaper in an interview that Nnadi began to preach the gospel to members of the gang from the first day they kidnapped them and that he never allowed them to have peace.
He said he didn’t like Nnadi’s confidence and bravery and therefore “decided to send him to an early grave.”
He added, “The deceased kept preaching and told him to his face to change his evil ways or perish from the day he was abducted alongside his colleagues.”
Mohammed said his gang invaded the Seminary because they thought they could make money by kidnapping the students.
He said members of the gang got inside information from a member who lived close to the Seminary.
Mohammed said after the operation members of the gang used his mobile telephone to contact the Seminary to demand a ransom N100 million, an equivalent of $250,000 but later reduced it to N10 million ($25,000).
Open Door USA in its 2020 report said Nigeria ranks 12th among 50 nations where it is difficult to practice Christianity.