Gunmen Abduct Catholic Priest in Enugu State

A Catholic priest, Gerald Ohaeri, has been abducted by gunmen along the Ugwogo Nike-Opi Express Road in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State. The incident occurred on Saturday evening as the cleric was returning from a function in Isienu, within Enugu metropolis.

The Congregation of the Holy Spirit, also known as the Holy Ghost Fathers, confirmed the abduction in a statement on Sunday. Reverend Vitalis Anusionwu, Secretary of the congregation’s South-east Province, called for prayers for the safe release of Father Ohaeri.

The Enugu State Police Command has yet to issue an official statement on the matter. Efforts to contact the command’s spokesperson, Daniel Ndukwe, for comments have been unsuccessful.

This incident adds to a growing number of kidnappings in Enugu State, particularly along the Opi-Nsukka-Ugwogo-Nike Road, where several cases of abductions have been recorded in recent months. Victims have included civil servants, business owners, students, and prominent individuals.

Two months ago, a professor, Oguejiofor Ujam, was kidnapped along the same road but managed to escape after a confrontation between security forces and his abductors. Around the same period, an official of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Emeason Chima, was also kidnapped in the area and remains in captivity.

Although no group has claimed responsibility for Father Ohaeri’s abduction, security challenges in the region have often been linked to the separatist group IPOB, which has been accused of escalating attacks as part of its push for the secession of Nigeria’s south-east and parts of the south-south regions.