- The priest was abducted close to his parish
- The kidnappers have reached out for ransom payment, the Church disclosed.
Gunmen wreaking havoc in Nigeria’s south east have kidnapped a Catholic Priest, Rev. Fr. Joseph Azubuike in Ebonyi state.
Three others persons, whose identity are not revealed, were also kidnapped by the assailants duration the Monday abduction.
Fr. Azubuike is the Parish Priest of St. Charles Parish, Mgbaleze village, Isu community, in Onicha Local Government Area of the state.
The Chancellor of the Abakaliki Diocese, Rev Father Mathew Opoke confirmed the incident in a statement, on Tuesday.
According to Opoke, Fr. Azubuike was kidnapped close to his parish on his way back from evangelical duties.
Opoke revealed the kidnappers had established contact with the Diocese and demanded an undisclosed amount of ransom.
The statement read, “Kindly pray for the unconditional release of Very Rev. Fr. Joseph Azubuike who was abducted yesterday Monday, 10th of July, 2023 close to his parish on his way back from pastoral duties.
“Fr. Joseph is the Parish Priest of St. Charles Parish, Mgbaleze Isu in Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi state. He was abducted alongside three other people.
“The abductors are making financial demands but with your prayers, we are going to have them back unconditionally.”
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Onome Onovwakpoyeya could not be reached for comment, as of the time of filing this report, on Tuesday.
Abduction of clergymen in the beleaguered south east became rampant after insecurity morphed into a somewhat permanent feature of the region amid growing agitation by a faction of the secessionist group called IPOB.
In May, a priest with Okigwe Catholic Diocese in Imo State, Rev Fr Jude Maduka, was kidnapped.
The priest was kidnapped while preparing for the Sunday’s Eucharistic Mass celebration on Sunday morning.