“Has God Forsaken Us??” – Church Members Query After Decomposed Bodies Of Their Pastor, His Wife Was Found In Taraba Forest
On Wednesday, March 14, Pastor Jacob Aba, the pastor of the African Church at Adi Parish in Taraba state, his wife and their 13-month-old baby were declared missing.
The trio reportedly left his church in Bali, the headquarters of Bali Local Government Area of Taraba State to attend the church’s congress in Donga on a motorcycle with their 13-month-old baby.
The family didn’t show up for the congress and members of the church became apprehensive because of the recent killings on the Maraba Baisa Bali Road.
He was immediately declared missing and a search party was launched to get to the bottom of their disappearance.
On Saturday, March 16, the decomposing bodies of the pastor and his wife were found in the bush along Maraba Baisa in Donga Local Government Area of Taraba State while their 13-month-old baby is still missing.
The Head of Tiv traditional rulers in Taraba State who is also the Ter Bali, Chief David Gbaa, confirmed the tragic news and disclosed that the bodies of the couple were found in the bush near Maraba Baisa while the youths and security were searching to know their whereabouts.
The Chief added that the police were invited after the bodies were discovered for proper records and documentation before it was evacuated to the morgue.
“Pastor Jacob Aba is the pastor of African Church at Adi Parish in Bali. He left Bali on Wednesday to attend his church’s congress in Donga but he could not reach the destination and he did not come back home for over three days.
“Pastor Jacob Aba is the pastor of African Church at Adi Parish in Bali. He left Bali on Wednesday to attend his church’s congress in Donga but he could not reach the destination and he did not come back home for over three days.
All the pastors of the parish were worried; the Tiv Community was worried because of the level of killings going on within the Maraba area. So, we embarked on a search and yesterday, Saturday 16th of March, we found his decomposing body and his wife in the bush.
His 13-month-old baby is missing. The motorcycle they used for the trip is also nowhere to be found. We were accompanied to the scene by the police to evacuate the bodies” Gbaa said.
Family, friends and church members took to social media to mourn the sudden loss.
The African Church Youth Association mourning the loss of the couple asked if God had forsaken them.
“Should we say that God have forsaken us or what, look at the images of our beloved brother and wife (pastor Jacob abah and his wife) (atese) including their little kid who is yet known his way about were killed in cold blood for his pastoral mission at Adi parish Gazabu Bali local government area of Taraba state. This people where killed around mararaba Takum local government area of Taraba while he was on his way to his house