Rev. Maurice Livinus, a Catholic priest from St Patrick’s Catholic Church in Isokpo, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, along with two other unidentified individuals, has been released after being kidnapped.
The priest and the two victims were abducted last Wednesday while returning from a hospital visit along the Elele-Isiokpo road in Ikwerre.
The Rivers State Police Command Public Relations Officer, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed their release in a statement on Sunday.
According to Koko, the victims were freed following coordinated efforts by a security team comprising policemen, soldiers from the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Isiokpo, and local vigilantes.
She said, “Please be informed that today, 16th February 2022, at about 0630 hrs, information was received that the kidnapped victims, Rev. Maurice Livinus and others, have been released by their captors after pressure from the combined efforts of the security team comprising policemen, soldiers from the JTF Isiokpo, and the local vigilante.”
Koko also noted that the victims had been reunited with their families for medical attention, and efforts were underway to capture the perpetrators.
“The victims have been reunited with their families for medical attention, while efforts are ongoing to arrest the culprits,” she said.
