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It has been a disturbing trend, Onitsha has witnessed the kidnapping of a second Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Christian Ike, at the hands of unknown gunmen, following the similar abduction of Rev. Fr. Basil Gbuzuo last month.
In two separate incidents, Rev. Fr. Gbuzuo was taken on May 15 in Onitsha, Anambra’s commercial hub, and Rev. Fr. Ike was seized on June 16 at Amagu Junction in Orumba North, highlighting a worrying trend in the state.
Although Rev. Fr. Gbuzuo was eventually released after a ransom was paid, the whereabouts of Rev. Fr. Ike remain unknown, as his abductors have failed to establish contact with his family or parish, fueling growing concerns.
While the motivations behind the abduction are unclear, eyewitnesses recount how the priest was waylaid by kidnappers as he drove away from St. Michael’s Catholic Church, where he had attended an early morning Mass alongside two others.
According to the source, “On getting to Amagu Junction, their vehicle was double-crossed by armed men operating in three vehicles, but the two others who were inside the same vehicle with Fr. Ike barely managed to escape the scene, while the criminals took away the priest and some personal belongings of the escaped occupants in the vehicle.”
Read also: APC Berates Soludo For Denying Rampant Kidnappings In Anambra
Confirming the incident, the Anambra State police spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, told newsmen on phone that the command has heard about the incident and has deployed its intelligence and operational assets for his possible rescue unhurt.
Ikenga said, “Anambra State Police Command received the information of the abduction of Rev Father Christian Ike and has deployed its intelligence and operational assets of the Command for possible rescue unhurt.
“To this end, the Command has activated its intelligence and operational assets for possible arrest of the assailants and rescue unhurt of the priest and further development shall be communicated as it unfolds”.
