July 03, (THEWILL) – The Edo State Police Command has confirmed reports that two Catholic Reverend Fathers were kidnapped in the state on Saturday.
The victims, Reverend Fathers, Uboh Philemon of St. Joseph Retreat Centre and Rev. Fr. Udom Peterm of Uromi Catholic Church, both of Ugboha, Esan South East local government, were returning to their parish after an event when they were kidnapped
The duo were reportedly returning from Benin to Ugboham after attending the programme when gunmen accosted them on the Benin-Auchi road between Ekhor and Iruekpen axis on Saturday.
Spokesperson of the State Police Command, Chidi Nwabuzor, said the police received information about the kidnap of the two reverend fathers through the divisional police officer of Ugboha and corroborated by one Rev. Father Emos Holiness, of St Dominic Catholic Church, of Mission Road, Ugboha,
Nwabuzor said the Commissioner of Police, Abutu Yaro, had deployed a team of police operatives for a serious manhunt of the hoodlums to rescue the victims unhurt.
The development is coming just a week after kidnappers killed Christopher Odia, an abducted Catholic priest in the state
THEWILL had reported how Odia, who was the priest in Charge of St. Michael Catholic Church, Ikabigbo community in Etsako West local government of Edo, was abducted as he was preparing for mass last week.
He was shot dead during a manhunt, launched for his release.
