Tension As Gunmen Abduct Popular Seminary Rector

The Catholic Diocese of Auchi, Edo State, has confirmed the abduction of Reverend Father Thomas Oyode, the Rector of Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary, Ivhianokpodi, in Etsako East Local Government Area.

Father Oyode was reportedly kidnapped on Sunday evening, October 27, 2024, by armed assailants who stormed the seminary.

In an official statement released on Monday by the diocese’s Director of Communications, Reverend Father Peter Egielewa, it was disclosed that the incident occurred while priests and seminarians were conducting their evening prayers and benediction. The attack has prompted heightened security concerns within the seminary.

Father Egielewa assured that the vice-rector and all the seminarians were safe and had been relocated to a secure location as a precautionary measure. However, he revealed that there has been no contact with the kidnappers regarding Father Oyode’s whereabouts or any demands for his release.

The diocese reported the abduction to security agencies, seeking their immediate intervention to secure the priest’s safe return. The local Catholic community and the public have been urged to pray for Father Oyode’s safety and swift release as efforts to rescue him intensify.

GWG.ng reports that the kidnap of Father Oyode adds to public concerns over what has been described as the menace of bandits and others against the clergy.
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