By Ovie Okpare
Arms-wielding gunmen have reportedly abducted a Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Samuel Agwameseh, along the Onicha-Olona in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State.
Fr. Agwameseh, who is the parish priest of St. Lawrence Catholic Church, Issele-Mkpitime, was abducted on Saturday.
However, the abductors are demanding N20 million ransom to free the abducted catholic priest.
Director of Social Communication, Catholic Diocese of Issele-Uku in Delta State, Rev. Fr Charles Uganwa confirmed the abduction of the priest to NIGER DELTA TODAY on Monday.
Uganwa said the hoodlums have established contact with some parishioners.
The priest was returning to his base at Issele-Mkpitime when his was attacked by gunmen alleged to be Fulani herdsmen and whisked to an unknown location.
The catholic father was said to be returning from Onicha-Olona where he had gone to produced last Sunday’s Church bulletin for his parish when the kidnappers ambushed his car.
It was further gathered that the gunmen established contacted with the church on Sunday morning where they made their ransom demand.
Sources aware of the ransom told NIGER DELTA TODAY that the family and church pleaded with the abductors to reduce the ransom but they declined.
One of the sources stated that the gunmen had threatened to kill the priest if the N20 million ransom is not provided.
NIGER DELTA TODAY also learnt that the police have recovered the priest’s vehicle and other of his personal belongings.
Speaking on the incident on Monday, the Director of Social Communication, Issele-Uku Diocese, Fr Agwameseh confirmed the demand of the said ransom but added that the Catholic church does not pay ransom for their abducted priest.
He pleaded with the abductors to conditionally realize the victim for the sake of God as the church does not have money or encourage payment of ransom to arms wielding hoodlums
Efforts to get official response from the Delta State Police Command on the abduction of the priest proved abortive as repeated calls to the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Adeyinka Adeleke and the State Police Public Relations Officer, Onome Onowakpoyeya, repeatedly ranged out.
WhatsApp messages sent to them were read without replies at the time of filing this report.
