Gunmen have kidnapped two Catholic priests in Edo State, amid the continued abduction of clergymen in the country.
Police authorities in the state have confirmed the incident which occurred on Saturday night around Ehor and Iruekpen communities along the Benin-Auchi Expressway.
In a statement on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer in Edo, Chidi Nwabuzor, identified the victims as Reverend Father Udo Peter of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Uromi, and Reverend Father Philemon Oboh of St. Joseph Retreat Centre, Ugboha in Esan South East Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.
Barely a week before the incident, Channels Television reported the abduction and subsequent killing of Reverend Father Christopher Odia of St. Michael Catholic Church, lkhabigbo in Etsako LGA of Edo State.
He was abducted from his rectory last Sunday while he was on his way to conduct a mass for worshippers at the parish.
But the clergyman was later killed by his abductors out of frustration during a fire exchange with security operatives who were on a rescue mission.
Nwabuzor, while narrating the latest incident, said one Reverend Father Amos Abhulimen of St. Dominic Catholic Church, Ugboha informed the police of the abduction of his colleagues.
According to him, the Commissioner of Police Edo, Abutu Yaro, has dispatched security operatives to the area with a view to rescuing the clergymen and arresting the kidnappers.
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