Police arrest suspected kidnappers of Catholic priest in Edo

The police in Edo State have confirmed the arrest of two suspects in connection with Sunday’s kidnapping of Rev. Fr. Thomas Oyode, the rector of the Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary of the Catholic Diocese of Auchi, in Ivhianokpodi, Etsako East local government area of the state.

Umoru Ozigi, the state commissioner of police, who paraded two and seven other criminal suspects, in Benin City, on Wednesday, said efforts were being made to free the kidnapped priest and arrest other fleeing suspects.

Recall that Oyode was kidnapped on Sunday by gunmen when he went to the evening mass in the area.

It was gathered that the gunmen took two students after sporadic shootings but that Rev Fr. Oyode pleaded with the kidnappers to free the students, but rather than honour his pleas, they abducted him. The gunmen were said to have released the two students and took Oyode into custody.

The incident happened on Sunday, October 27 at about 7pm when priests at the seminary were holding their evening prayers.

“The rector of the institution, Rev. Fr. Thomas Oyode, was abducted and led into the bush. However, the vice rector and all the seminarians have been accounted for and are safe and temporarily relocated to a safe area until security measures around the seminary are tightened. Unfortunately, no communication has been heard with the abductors yet.

“An official report of the incident has been lodged with the law enforcement agencies and we look forward to their assistance in securing the release of our abducted priest”, Rev. Fr. Peter Egielewa, one of the priests at the seminary had said in a statement on Monday.

The Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary was established by the Catholic Bishop of Auchi, Most Rev. Gabriel Dunia, in 2006 for the training of future priests. Over 500 students have so far successfully graduated from the church institution.

A source who preferred anonymity, said: “The kidnappers on Monday evening contacted the Auchi Catholic Diocese and asked them to pay N200 million if they want them to release the kidnapped priest.

Briefing journalists during the parade of some of the criminal suspects in Benin, the commissioner of police said that two of the suspects involved in the kidnap have been arrested and were helping the police with useful information to arrest others at large.