Bandits slaughtered Pastor Hills for attempting to escape – Survivor narrates harrowing experience
Pastor Recalls Abduction, Murder of Colleague by Bandits
Pastor Gabriel Joseph Dipak, who was abducted by armed militants on August 28, 2026, shared his harrowing experience following the murder of his companion, Pastor Emmanuel Hills, during their kidnapping. The two clerics were intercepted by Fulani bandits while traveling from Jos to Bokkos in Plateau State.
Dipak, affiliated with the Christ Apostolic Church, was en route with Hills, a Ghanaian-Nigerian minister and founder of The Wonderful Grace of God Evangelical Ministry, when they encountered a roadblock on the Barkin Ladi-Bokkos Road.
In an interview with journalist Masara Kim Usman, Dipak described how the group of militants targeted them specifically, while allowing the other passengers, including Hills’ wife, to escape after robbing them.
Hills reportedly attempted to flee but was captured by the assailants. Dipak recounted that the bandits stabbed Hills multiple times before killing him, stating, “They slaughtered him like you would slaughter a goat,” emphasizing the brutal nature of the attack.
During the ordeal, the kidnappers allegedly expressed that Dipak was fortunate to belong to a different ethnic group, suggesting that if he were Berom or Mwaghavul, he would have been killed immediately.
“Before that day, I did not know Pastor Emmanuel Hills,” Dipak explained. “As we talked, I learned he was also a man of God from Bokkos.”
The incident occurred around 9 p.m. as they approached an intersection leading to Bokkos. Dipak recalled seeing flashlights on the deserted road, which raised his suspicions. When the vehicle stopped, armed men emerged from the bushes, ordering them to lie on the ground.
After enduring several hours of treacherous trekking from the roadside, Dipak and Hills were taken to a nearby camp, where the militants tied Dipak’s hands and informed him that they had received orders to kill him.
“I was released the next evening after my wife and family arranged for my ransom,” Dipak stated, reflecting on the traumatic experience.
