Suspected Herdsmen Kidnap Anglican Priest, Family In Delta

Gunmen on Saturday kidnapped an Anglican Church priest working on his farm at Issele-Mkpitime in the Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State.

A resident in the community, Uche Obinkwor, told the News Agency of Nigeria on telephone that the priest, Rev. Anthony Oyi of Oko Agbele Quarters, was abducted by suspected herdsmen along with members of his family.

Obinkwor said: “The priest, who resides at Oko Agbele Quarters in Issele-Mkpitime, was kidnapped this morning along with his wife and children while working in their farm.

“We gathered from the wife, who was later released along with her children, that the kidnappers are herdsmen.

“The family was on their farm when the armed kidnappers swopped on them and took them into the bush.

“The kidnappers later released the priest’s wife and children and held back the priest and another victim, a man, in their custody.’”

Obinkwor said the wife of the priest had told the villagers that the kidnappers asked her to go home and look for money to pay ransom for her husband’s release.

According to Obinkwor, youths and community’s vigilance group have been alerted and have launched a search to fish out the kidnappers.

When contacted, the Delta State Police Command’s spokeswoman, DSP Onome Onovwakpoyeya, confirmed the development.

She said the command had already dispatched a team of police operatives to track down the kidnappers and rescue the priest.

Onovwakpoyeya said: “We got the information this morning and as I speak with you, our men are already in the community combing the surrounding bushes.

“The police will track down the kidnappers and rescue the priest unhurt.”