Rev. Father Livinus Maurice and two others have regained their freedom four days after being abducted along the Elele-Isiokpo Road in Rivers State.
Father Maurice, the Parish Priest of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Isokpo, was kidnapped last Wednesday while returning from a hospital visit.
Rivers State Police spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko confirmed their release on Sunday, attributing it to pressure from a joint security effort involving police, soldiers, and local vigilantes. The victims have been reunited with their families while authorities continue efforts to apprehend the kidnappers.
Meanwhile, another Catholic priest, Rev. Father Jude Onyeka, was abducted in Onitsha, Anambra State, on Thursday. Onyeka, recently transferred to St. Dominic Catholic Church, Abatete, was kidnapped near the Building Materials Section in Ogidi, Idemili North LGA. No contact has been made with his captors.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha, through Chancellor Rev. Fr. Prudentus Aroh, has called for prayers for Onyeka’s safe return, echoing Archbishop Valerian Okeke’s appeal for divine intervention.
