Unknown Gunmen have abducted a Catholic priest, Rev. Father Philip Ekeli, and a seminarian, Peter Andrew, from St. Peter Catholic Church in Iviukwa Community, Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State.
It was gathered that the incident reportedly occurred late Sunday night around 11:30pm.
The Chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Mr. Inaede Gabriel according to security sources alerted the Police that the church was under siege.
Inaede explained that security operatives, including members of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), were immediately deployed to the scene, where they confirmed that the priest and seminarian had been abducted and taken to an unknown location.
However, the local vigilantes reportedly engaged the gunmen, killing one of the assailants and his body was later deposited at the General Hospital Mortuary in Aghenebode.
Items recovered at the scene of the incident include a mobile phone with two Airtel SIM cards, a power bank, a dagger jacket, a bag containing biscuits and sachets of Nescafé tea, two pairs of rubber shoes, and ₦168,850 in cash.
He added that security forces, including personnel from the Nigerian Army’s 195 Battalion, police operatives, vigilantes, and local hunters, have launched a joint search-and-rescue operation to locate the victims and apprehend the abductors.
Efforts by our correspondent to reach the Edo State Police Command spokesperson, SP Moses Joel Yamu, were unsuccessful as he neither answered his calls nor responded to messages sent to him.