Gunmen have abducted Father Gerald Ohaeri, a Catholic priest, in Enugu State, located in Nigeria’s southeast region.
The incident occurred on Saturday evening along the Ugwogo Nike-Opi Express Road in Nsukka Local Government Area.
Father Ohaeri, a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (commonly known as the Holy Ghost Fathers), was reportedly returning from a function in Enugu metropolis when he was kidnapped.
Vitalis Anusionwu, the Secretary of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit Province of Nigeria, confirmed the abduction in a statement on Sunday. Anusionwu, who is also a Catholic priest, expressed concern over the rising insecurity in the region and urged authorities to act swiftly to secure the priest’s release.
“We solicit your fervent prayers and supplications to God that he may be released as soon as possible and come back to us safe and sound,” he said.
The police spokesperson in Enugu State, Daniel Ndukwe, did not respond to calls seeking his comment.
Mr Ndukwe, a deputy superintendent of police, was yet to respond to a WhatsApp message as of the time of this report.
Increased kidnap attacks
Like other parts of Enugu, cases of kidnap-for-ransom along the Opi-Nsukka- Ugwogo-Nike Road have increased in recent times.
Civil servants, business owners, politicians and even students have become targets of such attacks in the area.
The latest incident occurred two months after gunmen kidnapped a Nigerian professor, Oguejiofor Ujam along the Opi-Nsukka- Ugwogo-Nike Road.
Mr Ujam later escaped from captivity after security operatives engaged his abductors in a shootout in late October.
The kidnap of the professor occurred hours after gunmen kidnapped an official of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Emeason Chima, along the same road.
He was yet to be freed as of the time of this report.
No group has claimed responsibility for the kidnap of the Catholic priest although a separatist group IPOB has been blamed for the frequent attacks in the region.
IPOB is seeking the secession of the south-east and some parts of south-south from Nigeria.
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