The Parish Priest of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Umuola, Amaigbo in Nwangele Local Council of Imo State, Rev. Fr. Francis Ugoo Egbebu, has been abducted by an unknown gunmen.
He was abducted Monday evening, and the news about the kidnapping spread on Tuesday to the Catholic Diocese of Orlu, security agencies and the state governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha.
Sources told The Guardian that the abductors of Egbebu, have demanded ransom of N5 million from the Catholic Church authorities before the victim could regain freedom.
The Guardian also gathered that in recent times, precisely in the past few months, some priests of the denomination have fallen in to the hands of the abductors, interestingly, as gathered, the church refused to pay ransom, principally to discourage the crime from thriving. Those priests kidnapped were all freed.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), in Imo State command, Mr. Andrew Enwerem, confirmed to journalists about the incident, but expressed commitment that he would be rescued alive.
A source from Government House, Owerri, told The Guardian that the governor was sad over the incident when he had about the incident, adding that he was working with the state security agencies to secure his release.
