Another pastor abducted in Nigeria
The parish priest of St. Matthew's Parish in Ajalli, Orumba North Local Government Area in Anambra State, south-central Nigeria, Fr. Christian Ike, was kidnapped along with another person on the morning of Sunday, June 16, as reported by the missionary agency Fides.
The chancellor of the Ekwulobia Diocese, Fr. Lawrence Nwankwo, has called on the faithful to pray for the release of the priest and Mr. Ogbonnia Aneke, who were abducted on June 16 at around 9:45 AM while returning from a Mass at a suburban station in St. Matthew’s Parish.
According to the police reconstruction based on an eyewitness account, the priest and several other people were returning from St. Michael’s Church, where they had celebrated a morning service. When they reached the Amagu intersection, their vehicle was blocked by armed men.
Two people managed to escape, but the attackers kidnapped the priest and another person, also taking the personal belongings of the vehicle’s passengers.
The Fides agency recalls that in May, at least two other priests were kidnapped in Nigeria and subsequently released after a few days, while in June, Fr. Gabriel Ukeh was kidnapped and later released in Kaduna State. The Ekwulobia Diocese, where Fr. Christian Ike serves, is led by Cardinal Peter Ebere Okpaleke.
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