SW News: The atrocities committed against Christians and priests in Nigeria appear to have no end in sight. In the latest incident, a Catholic priest was kidnapped by armed men in the state of Enugu in the southeastern part of the nation. There are reports that armed Fulani herdsmen could be behind the kidnapping of Fr Marcellinus Okide.

Fr Okide, who was serving as the vicar of St Mary’s Catholic Church in Amofia Affa, was taken at gunpoint on Sunday evening while he was returning to this parish. It is alleged that armed gunmen took him along the Eke-Affa-Egede Road.
The abduction took place hardly a day after 14 people were taken by gunmen along the Enugu-Ugwogo-Opi-Nsukka Road. In a separate attack, another man was gunned down and several others were injured in the Uzo-Uwani area of Enugu state.

The diocese of Enugu has confirmed the abduction of the vicar of St Mary’s and Diocesan Communication Director Fr Anthony Aneke exhorted believers to pray for those who kidnapped Fr Okide so that they have a change of heart and release him without causing any harm.

Chancellor of the diocese Fr Wilfred Chidi Agubuchie issued the plea invoking the intervention of the Lord to free the abducted priest from his captors and also to protect Nigeria. In a statement, he said the kidnapping of the priest served as a “stark reminder of the security issues plaguing the country, and the need for concerted efforts to address them”.

SaharaReporters has claimed that the abductors have contacted the relatives of people under their custody and they have demanded a ransom to the tune of 100 million N. It is also reported that the gunmen left the children of the captives unharmed in the vehicle and they were later taken from the scene by policemen.

Internal security in Nigeria has gone for a toss with Islamist insurgents such as the Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West Africa Province and armed Muslim Fulani herdsmen unleashing terror on Christian communities and churches. Kidnappings and killings seem to be the order of the day especially in the north and middle belt of the West African nation.