Some yet-to-be-identified gunmen on May 22 kidnapped Gbuzuo, a Catholic priest of the Units Archdiocese, at about 8am along the Eke Nkpor-Obosi Bypass, while on a journey.
The Anambra State Police Command has said that it has activated an onslaught operation on the kidnappers of a Catholic priest, Father Basil Gbuzuo and Prof. Sydney Onyeagu of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (UNIZIK) after operatives secured their release.
Some yet-to-be-identified gunmen on May 22 kidnapped Gbuzuo, a Catholic priest of the Units Archdiocese, at about 8am along the Eke Nkpor-Obosi Bypass, while on a journey.
The Chancellor of the Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha, Rev. Fr. Prudentius Aroh, who confirmed the abduction of the priest had said, “His Grace, Most Rev. Valerian M. Okeke, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Onitsha, invites all Christ’s faithful and all men and women of goodwill to earnestly pray for the quick and safe release of the priest as we intensify our efforts to ensure his freedom.
“We commit our brother, Fr. Basil, to the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Priests, for his speedy release from the hands of his kidnappers.”
Prof. Onyeagu was also abducted by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers in the state.
On Friday, the Police Public Relations Officer in the State, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, in a statement made available to journalists in Awka, the state capital said that the kidnapped victims had been released unhurt.
Ikenga however said that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Nnaghe Obono Itam, had activated onslaught operations on the kidnappers.
The police spokesperson said that the CP assured that the command is in high spirits and “is already leveraging on information in this regard especially to frustrate criminal intentions of non-state actors and reduce crime to the barest minimum in the state.”