Decomposing bodies of Pastor and wife found in Taraba forest; their 13 months old baby missing

The decomposing bodies of a pastor with African Church and that of his wife were on Saturday, March 16, found in the bush along Maraba Baisa in Donga Local Government Area of Taraba State while their 13 months old baby is missing.

The cleric and his wife were declared missing on Wednesday, March 14, after they 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.

Members of the church became apprehensive when the pastor was not seen at the congress and the fears associated with recent killings on the Maraba Baisa Bali Road.

The Head of Tiv traditional rulers in Taraba State who is also the Ter Bali, Chief David Gbaa, while speaking with LEADERSHIP, said the bodies of the couple were found in the bush near Maraba Baisa while the youths and security were conducting a search to know their whereabouts.

The Chief added that the police were invited on discovering the bodies, 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.

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 years 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

The state police command is yet to comment on this development.