Gunmen kidnap Catholic priest in Kogi

Gunmen have abducted a Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Christopher Onotu, from a church in Obangede, Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State.

It was gathered that the cleric was kidnapped after the gunmen invaded the church’s vicarage at about 9 pm on Saturday.

Speaking on the abduction, a member of the church, who craved anonymity, said the congregation got to know about the priest’s abduction on Sunday when they came for morning mass and found out that the priest was nowhere to be found to officiate.

Confirming the incident, the Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Williams Ayah said the operatives of the command are on the trail of the abductors of the Catholic priest.

Ayah stated that the state Commissioner of Police, Edward Egbuka, has deployed personnel to rescue the abducted cleric.

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He added that the police were working with the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies to unravel the mystery surrounding the abduction of the Catholic priest.

This is coming amidst the killing of worshippers at St Francis Catholic Church, Owa-luwa Street, Owo in Ondo State by terrorists.

The Star had reported that over 40 people were killed while several others were injured in the attack which occurred on Sunday.

The state governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, who described the attack as “a black Sunday in Owo”, vowed that the state government would hunt down the assailants.

The Star