Rev. Father Livinus Maurice and two others have regained their freedom four days after being abducted by gunmen along the Elele-Isiokpo Road in Ikwere Local Government Area, Rivers State.
PUNCH Metro recalls that Father Maurice, the Parish Priest of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Isokpo, was kidnapped last Wednesday while returning from a hospital visitation with two unidentified individuals.
Following the abduction, the Catholic Diocese of Port Harcourt, on behalf of Bishop Bernadine Anaele, issued a statement demanding the priest’s unconditional release.
Confirming the development on Sunday, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, stated that a coordinated manhunt led to their freedom.
She disclosed that security pressure from a combined force of policemen, Joint Task Force soldiers, and local vigilantes forced the captors to release the victims at around 6:30 am on Sunday.
The statement read:
“Please be informed that today, February 16, 2022, at about 0630 hrs, information was received that the kidnapped victims, Rev. Maurice Livinus and others, have been released by their captors. Their release came after pressure from the combined efforts of the security team comprising policemen, soldiers from the Joint Task Force in Isiokpo, and local vigilantes. The victims have been reunited with their families for medical attention, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend the culprits.”
Another Catholic Priest Abducted in Anambra
Meanwhile, unidentified assailants have kidnapped another Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Jude Onyeka, in Onitsha, Anambra State.
Sources revealed that the abduction occurred in the early hours of Thursday at the Building Materials Section of Ugwunwasike Bypass, Ogidi, in Idemili North Local Government Area.
Fr. Onyeka, a priest of the Onitsha Archdiocese, previously served as the Parish Priest of St. Edmund Catholic Church, Nkpor, before his recent transfer to St. Dominic Catholic Church, Abatete.
The Chancellor of the Onitsha Archdiocese, Rev. Fr. Prudentus Aroh, confirmed the abduction in a message to the Onitsha Archdiocesan Presbyterium platform, calling for prayers for Fr. Onyeka’s safe return.
“His Grace, Most Rev. Valerian M. Okeke, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Onitsha, invites us to earnestly pray for his quick and safe release as all efforts are being made to secure his freedom. We commend our brother, Fr. Jude, to the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Priests, for his speedy release from the hands of his abductors.”
As of the time of reporting, the Anambra State Police Command spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, stated that the incident had not yet been officially reported to the authorities.
