The Catholic Diocese of Auchi, Edo State, has lamented that the once peaceful northern part of the State has become a business centre for kidnappers.
The Diocese made the lamentation in a statement on Tuesday by its Director of Communications, Rev. Fr. Peter Egielewa.
Egielewa who announced the kidnap of yet another priest, Rev. Philip Ekeli and a Seminarian, Peter Andrew, disclosed they eight of its priests were abducted with one brutally murdered by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers in the last five years.
“The Diocese was inaugurated on February 22, 2003, only recently celebrated the twenty-second anniversary of its inauguration, but in the last five years, over 8 of her priests have been kidnapped, with one brutally murdered in 2022.
“The Catholic Diocese of Auchi announces that, the Priest’s rectory and church of St Peter Catholic Church, Iviukhua-Agenebode, Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, was violently attacked by gunmen. Doors and windows in both the rectory and church were pulled down accompanied by gunshots,” he said.
The Catholic Priest further disclosed that local vigilantes engaged the kidnappers in a gun duel but, due to the superior weapons in possession of the kidnappers, the parish priest, Rev. Fr. Philip Ekweli, was taken into the surrounding forests, along with the major seminarian serving in the parish.
According to him, no communication has been had with the abductors yet.
“The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Auchi, Most Rev. Dr. Gabriel Dunia expresses sadness at the frequency at which priests in his Diocese are attacked and kidnapped,” he said.
He called on the government to address the persistent security challenges in the area and other parts of the State, even as he called on the people to join the Diocese in prayers for the release of the victims.
