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The abductors of Rev. Fr. Thomas Oyode, Rector of the Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary of the Catholic Diocese of Auchi in Edo State, have demanded a ransom of N200 million for his release.
Rev. Fr. Oyode was kidnapped on Sunday night during evening mass after he voluntarily offered himself in exchange for two seminarians who had previously been abducted by the same gunmen.
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The ransom demand was confirmed by Rev. Fr. Peter Egielewa, the Director of Communications for the Catholic Diocese of Auchi, in a text message to journalists in Benin City. “It is true,” he stated regarding the demand.
A source, who requested anonymity, revealed that the kidnappers contacted the diocese on Monday evening, insisting on the N200 million ransom. As of that day, negotiations had not yet begun, and it was unclear whether the church would engage in ransom discussions.
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Reports indicate that the gunmen initially abducted two seminarians during a shooting incident. Rev. Fr. Oyode then pleaded with the kidnappers to release the students, ultimately offering to take their place as the Rector responsible for their welfare.
The gunmen accepted his offer, releasing the seminarians and taking Fr. Oyode captive.
According to Rev. Fr. Egielewa, the incident occurred on October 27 at approximately 7 p.m. while priests and seminarians were engaged in evening prayers and benediction.
The seminary, founded in 2006 by the Catholic Bishop of Auchi, Most Rev. Dr. Gabriel Dunia, has trained over 500 students to date.
As of Tuesday morning, there has been no official response from the Edo State Police Command regarding the abduction.
