There was tension in Ibagwa-Aka in the Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area of Enugu State, as gunmen invaded St. Jude’s Catholic Church, Eburummiri, and kidnapped the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Victor Ishiwu on Saturday.
SaharaReporters gathered that the incident occurred while congregants were celebrating Holy Mass at the Parish.
Although the Nigeria Police Force has yet to confirm the incident, a Catholic priest in Nsukka diocese who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed the abduction.
It was gathered that the kidnappers stormed the Church premises where the priest and congregation were celebrating holy mass during Adoration Prayer and started shooting sporadically into the air.
Congregants were reported to have scampered to safety, while the priest went into the Parish house.
An eyewitness who spoke to journalists in Nsukka on Sunday reported that the kidnappers trailed the cleric to the Parish house and threatened to burn down the church facilities if he refused to come out.
When the cleric refused to heed their warning, the kidnappers allegedly forced themselves into the Parish house through the church chapel.
They gained access and whisked the cleric to an unknown destination.
St. Jude’s Catholic Church, Eburummiri, Ibagwa-Aka is under Nsukka Catholic Diocese.
A priest of the diocese who confirmed the incident described it as tragic and unacceptable. He noted that Christianity is under threat if hoodlums can confidently attack worship centres without any response from Nigerian security agencies.
Efforts to speak with the spokesperson for the state police command, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, were unsuccessful as he did not answer his calls.