Amy Balog
(ZENIT News / Udi, Nigeria, 09.18.2023).- «Armed men abducted a Catholic priest and six other individuals on September 17th when they were traveling in southern Nigeria.
Father Marcellinus Obioma Okide was on his way to his parish, St. Mary Amofia-Agu Affa, in Udi, Enugu State, when he was kidnapped by unknown militants who, according to local media reports, were Fulani herders.
Following the incident on Sunday night, Father Wilfred Chidi Agubuchie, chancellor and secretary of the Enugu Diocese, issued a heartfelt call for prayers, hoping for the prompt and safe release of the priest.
In the statement, seen by the Catholic charity organization Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Father Agubuchie said he was praying to Jesus Christ for Father Okide’s release and for the protection of the entire nation. He added that he hoped the criminals would change their minds.
According to a report from Vanguard News Nigeria, six other travelers were also kidnapped, and the perpetrators have contacted the victims’ families, demanding a ransom of 100 million Nigerian Naira (over £100,000).
This distressing incident is the latest of its kind in a region where abductions of priests and Christian laypeople are becoming increasingly common.»
