Rev. Fr. Jude Onyeka, a Catholic Priest in Anambra State, has been abducted by armed assailants.
Prudentus Aroh, the Chancellor of the Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha, confirmed the incident, stating that Fr. Onyeka was taken on Thursday along the Building Material-Ugwunwasike Bypass in Ogidi, within the Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
In a statement released on Friday, Aroh noted that the kidnappers have not yet made contact, and that efforts are being made to secure the priest’s release.
“With deep sadness, we inform you of the abduction of one of our own, Rev. Fr. Jude Onyeka, the Parish Priest of St. Dominic Catholic Church in Abatete,” said Mr. Aroh, who is also a Catholic priest.
He added that the Catholic Bishop of the archdiocese, Valerian Okeke, has urged the Christian faithful to “earnestly pray” for the swift and safe return of the kidnapped priest.
“We entrust our brother, Fr. Jude, to the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Priests, for his prompt release from the hands of his captors,” he stated.
When contacted, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the spokesperson for the police in Anambra State, mentioned that details are still limited as the command has yet to receive a formal report regarding the incident. However, he assured that efforts are already underway to establish communication with the church to coordinate a rescue operation.
He promised to update our correspondent as soon as more information is available.
