Armed assailants attacked St. Peter Catholic Church in Iviukhua-Agenebode, Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State on Monday night, abducting the parish priest, Rev. Fr. Philip Ekweli, and a major seminarian.
The Catholic Diocese of Auchi confirmed the incident in a statement on Tuesday, revealing that the gunmen stormed the church premises around 9:30 pm, forcibly breaking doors and windows while firing gunshots.
Local vigilantes attempted to repel the attackers but were overpowered, allowing the criminals to escape with the priest and the seminarian into the nearby forest.
As of Tuesday morning, there had been no communication from the kidnappers, and their demands remained unknown.
Reacting to the incident, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Auchi, Most Rev. Dr. Gabriel Dunia, lamented the growing insecurity in Edo North, describing it as a haven for kidnappers.
He decried the frequency of attacks on priests, noting that the Diocese, once known for its peace, has become a hotspot for criminal activities.
He urged the government to take urgent action to curb the rising wave of kidnappings in the state.
The Diocese of Auchi, inaugurated in 2003, has faced repeated attacks in recent years.
In the past five years alone, eight priests have been kidnapped, with one murdered in 2022.
The Church has called on the public to pray for the safe release of Fr. Ekweli and the seminarian, hoping they will return unharmed.
