Rev. Fr. Solomon Atongu, the Catholic priest in charge of St. John Quasi Parish, Jimba, was shot by suspected armed herdsmen on Saturday evening along the Makurdi–Naka Road in Benue State.
The attack occurred as he was returning to his duty post in Naka. During the ambush, two other passengers in his vehicle were abducted and taken into the forest, as the assailants assumed the priest had died.
Fortunately, security operatives arrived at the scene shortly after the attack and rescued the wounded priest, who had lost a significant amount of blood. He was immediately transported to the hospital, where medical professionals are working to stabilize his condition. His survival has been described as miraculous given the circumstances of the attack.
The Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, through its Chancellor, Rev. Fr. Shima Ukpanya, confirmed the incident and appealed for prayers from the faithful for Fr. Atongu’s recovery. The Bishop of the Diocese, Most Rev. Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe, also joined in calling for spiritual support. Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Catherine Anene, for an official statement were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
