Gunmen abduct catholic priest, kill two police officers in Imo

Gunmen, yesterday, abducted the Catholic priest of Christ the King Parish, Ezinachi, Ugwuago, Okigwe Local Council of Imo State, Fr. Jude Maduka.
   
The cleric’s abduction was the second in a few weeks in the same diocese.
   
The previous incident happened at St Paul’s Catholic Paris, Osu, Isiala Mbano Local Council.
   
According to sources, Maduka was kidnapped in the morning as he was preparing to celebrate a Eucharistic Mass in his parish.
 

Spokesperson for Imo State Police Command, Henry Okoye, said he was yet to be briefed at press time.  
 
But sources, who confided in The Guardian, said the church had started working with security operatives to ensure that the victim regained freedom unhurt.
 
For some years, Catholic priests have become targets for kidnappers. The auxiliary bishop of Assumpta Catholic archdiocese, Moses Chikwe, was among those abducted for days, before he was left off the hook. Some priests abducted in the state were also killed and their bodies found in the bush.

ALSO, two police officers were at the weekend killed by gunmen, who stormed the Ngor Okpala Junction in Imo State. The road leads to Aba, in Abia State.

However reports said more than two police officers were killed, while some civilians were injured in the incident.
   
Confirming the incident, the State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye, said  the gunmen  ambushed the police officers at a checkpoint.
 
He said after killing them, the hoodlums abandoned one of their vehicles riddled in bullet and blood stain, adding that it was recovered by some security operatives of the command as investigation continued.
 
The Guardian gathered that many villagers and residents of the area had deserted there, while businesses were shut, as a result.
 
Recall that hoodlums had in April, killed five policemen at the same junction,
   
In March, five officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), were ambushed by gunmen and killed, while a  female police sergeant, on a patrol team, was also killed by hoodlums in the same area.