The reports that two Catholic Reverend Fathers were abducted in the state on Saturday have been confirmed by the Edo State Police Command.
Reverend Fathers Uboh Philemon of St. Joseph Retreat Center and Rev. Fr. Udom Peterm of Uromi Catholic Church, both of Ugboha, Esan South East local government, were abducted as they were returning to their parish following an event.
Gunmen ambushed the pair on the Benin-Auchi road between Ekhor and Iruekpen axis on Saturday as they were reportedly travelling from Benin to Ugboham after attending the programme.
Speaking on behalf of the State Police Command, Rev. Father Emos Holiness of St Dominic Catholic Church in Ugboha’s Mission Road confirmed to Chidi Nwabuzor that the police had received information about the kidnapping of the two reverend fathers through the divisional police officer of Ugboha.
In order to rescue the victims unharmed, Nwabuzor claimed that the Commissioner of Police, Abutu Yaro, had sent out a team of police officers to conduct a serious manhunt of the criminals.
This new development comes just one week after kidnappers in the state killed abducted Catholic priest Christopher Odia.
It had been revealed that Odia, the priest in charge of St. Michael Catholic Church in the Ikabigbo community of the Etsako West local government of Edo, was kidnapped last week as he was getting ready for mass.
