The Rt. Rev. Nathan Inyom and his wife, Becky, were unhurt after bandits stopped their car at gunpoint, leaving them at the roadside

The Bishop of Makurdi was carjacked on Sunday afternoon, but is unhurt. A statement given to the Nation newspaper by the diocesan press officer reported that at approximately 1:45 pm on 6 May 2018, the armed gunmen stopped a car carrying the Rt. Rev. Nathan Nyitar Inyom, his wife Becky, his Chaplain, the Rev. Cletus Iorliam, his driver, and one other person on the Zaki-Biam Road in Benue State.

The bandits forced the bishop and other occupants from the gold Lexus SUV and left them by the roadside. Frightened and robbed, initial reports state the bishop and members of his party were unharmed.

One of the senior bishops of the Church of Nigeria, Bishop Inyom was consecrated on 24 Sept 1990 as first Bishop of Makurdi. Under his tenure the diocese has grown from 5 clergy and 31 congregations in 1990 to 200 hundred congregations served by 50 clergy and 10 catechists today.

Located in Nigeria’s “middle belt”, Benue State has been subject to low level civil war in recent years due to clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers. It has also seen a rise in banditry due to the break down of law and order.