A Catholic priest, Reverend Father John Inalegwu Otache, has been abducted by gunmen along the Otobi Amejo-Ajegbe road in Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue State.
Otache, who serves as the Parish Priest of St. Margaret’s Parish, Ajegbe-Awume, was reportedly kidnapped on Tuesday while returning from Otukpo.
The Catholic Diocese of Otukpo confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Friday and signed by the Diocesan Chancellor, Reverend Father Joseph Aboyi Itodo.
According to the statement, the Bishop of the diocese, Most Reverend Michael Ekwoyi Apochi, expressed sadness over the abduction and appealed to Christians and other well-meaning Nigerians to pray for the priest’s safe and speedy release.
The diocese also disclosed that efforts were being intensified to secure Otache’s freedom, although it did not provide further details about the circumstances surrounding the abduction or any contact with the kidnappers.
The incident marks the second time a priest serving at St. Margaret’s Parish, Ajegbe-Awume, has been kidnapped.
The Benue State Police Command said it was investigating the reported abduction and working to secure the priest’s release.
The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Peter Aondongu, confirmed that the incident reportedly occurred on Tuesday but said the priest had not been rescued as of the time of his statement.
“I don’t have that report yet. They said he was coming from Ohimini and going to Otukpo. He is a Catholic priest, a Reverend Father. They said it happened on Tuesday,” Aondongu said.
He subsequently confirmed the reported abduction and disclosed that security operatives were making efforts to locate the priest.
“Yes, they confirmed it. I can confirm that it happened on Tuesday. He has not been rescued yet. Our teams are still making efforts to rescue him,” the police spokesperson said.
The abduction comes amid continuing concerns over kidnapping and insecurity in parts of Nigeria, with travellers and residents in several communities facing threats from armed groups.
In a separate incident, families of 20 prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), who were abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway in Imo State, have disclosed that the money they contributed to secure the victims’ release has been returned.
Obasanjo and Alirat Wahab, the parents of one of the abducted prospective corps members, said the families had received refunds of their contributions after the victims were rescued from captivity.
However, they could not confirm whether the ransom demanded by the kidnappers had been paid or identify the individuals who returned the money.
The development has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the release of the prospective corps members and the handling of the funds raised by their families.
The 20 prospective corps members were abducted on October 1 when gunmen attacked two 18-seater buses conveying passengers from Ibadan, Oyo State, towards Anambra State.
The attack occurred along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway, a major route connecting parts of the South-East with other regions of the country.
Following the abduction, the kidnappers reportedly demanded N1 billion for the release of the victims before reducing the demand to N5 million per person, bringing the total amount sought to N100 million.
The families subsequently faced the challenge of raising money while their relatives remained in captivity.
After seven days, the Nigeria Police Force announced on Wednesday that the victims had been rescued during a joint security operation involving the police, the Department of State Services and military personnel.
According to the police, the operation led to the rescue of the abducted prospective corps members in Amakohia Ubi village in Imo State.
After the rescue, questions emerged over whether the families had paid the ransom and how the contributions raised to secure the victims’ freedom were handled.
Speaking after her son regained his freedom, Alirat Wahab told News Central that her family had paid N6 million to secure his release.
Her account suggested that the amount contributed by her household exceeded the reported N5 million demanded for each victim.
However, in a subsequent interview with the media platform, Obasanjo said he could not confirm whether the representatives sent by the families had successfully delivered the ransom to the kidnappers.
He maintained that the money contributed by the families had been returned, including the N6 million reportedly paid by his household.
