A Catholic priest, Reverend Father Gerald Ohaeri, has been abducted while traveling along the Ugwuogo Nike-Opi Nsukka expressway in Enugu State.
Father Ohaeri, who serves at the Isienu Nsukka Parish within the Nsukka Catholic Diocese, was on his way back from a function in Enugu on Saturday when he was seized by kidnappers.
At the time of this report, Father Ohaeri is still being held captive, and efforts to trace his whereabouts are ongoing.
Authorities have not yet released further details, and attempts to contact the Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, were unsuccessful.
This incident highlights growing concerns about insecurity along the expressway, which has been notorious for frequent criminal activities.
Despite the presence of multiple police and military checkpoints along the less than 10-kilometer stretch, the Enugu-Abakpa-Ugwuogo-Nke-Opi-Nsukka road remains a hotspot for such crimes.
The Enugu State government has recently ramped up efforts to curb criminal activities in the region, including demolishing properties suspected of being used to house hostages.
Despite these efforts, many kidnapping victims are taken to neighboring states such as Benue and Kogi.
