Gunmen abduct two Catholic Priests again in Edo

BENIN – Barely one week after a Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Christopher Odia of St. Michael Catho­lic Church, Ikabigbo in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State was kidnapped and killed by his abductors, two other Catholic priests were on Saturday kidnapped along the Benin/Ekpoma road in the same Edo State.

Report reaching Daily In­dependent in Benin gave the names of the two Catholic priests as Rev. Father Peter Udo of St Patrick’s Catholic Church, Uromi in Esan North East Local Government Area and Rev. Father Philemon Oboh of St. Joseph Retreat Center, Ugboha in Esan South East Local Government Area of Edo State.

The two Catholic priests were said to have been kid­napped between Ehor and Iruekpen along the Benin-Ek­poma Expressway on their way to Uromi from Benin City, the Edo State capital.

According to sources, the two clergymen had attended a programme in Benin City on Saturday, July 2, 2022 and were returning to base when their vehicle rammed into some un­known gunmen who violently intercepted their car.

The gunmen had first fired several gun shots into the air which forced the car that had the two Catholic priests to stop.

The two priests were al­legedly forced into the bush by the gunmen and as at press time, the said kidnappers were yet to call for ransom.

Confirming the report, Edo State Police Command spokes­man, Chidi Nwanbuzor, said the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ugboha Police Division has called to inform him that one Rev. Father Amos Abhulimen on Saturday came to the station to report the kid­nap of the two Rev. Fathers.

Nwanbuzor said based on the report, the state Commis­sioner of Police, Abutu Yaro, dispatched a team of police­men as a reinforcement to the men of Ugboha division to go for the rescue of the two Cath­olic priests unhurt and get the kidnappers arrested.

Recall that a Catholic priest, Rev. Father Christopher Odia, who was kidnapped by gun­men in the early hours of last week Sunday at Ikabigbo community in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State was killed by his abductors.

Rev. Father Odia, who was the parish priest of St Michael Catholic Church, Ikabigbo, was kidnapped in his rectory while coming out to officiate the early morning Sunday Mass.