Abuja:

After being held hostage for over eight days, Father Kingsley Eze and his driver, Uchenna Newman, were released by their captors in the Nigerian state of Imo. The parish priest of Saint Michael's Catholic Church, Father Eze, and his driver were abducted on November 30, 2023, when they were out purchasing. Before fleeing the scene of the kidnapping, the criminals allegedly robbed store owners at the Orie Ama junction.

The abductors first demanded a $63,357 ransom but then lowered it to $12,669. There has been no official response from the police, although it is said that the victims paid a $626 ransom. In the meantime, the car in which they were abducted was towed from Okigwe.

Father Eze's church is delighted, and the faithful members have assembled to greet him at the parish home. However, the incident also underscores Imo State's worsening security situation, as armed assaults on different people and institutions are becoming more common.

In addition, Anara Umuelemai Road residents claim that this is the third abduction in as many weeks and that the government has to increase security. The residents of the hamlet are afraid and anxious because of motorcycle riders who carry pump-action rifles.

As armed attacks rise, Imo State's security situation is becoming worse. Facilities, government employees, and security agencies are the targets of these assaults. Suspected Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) militants have allegedly been accused of murdering police officers, kidnapping a traditional ruler, and killing the chairwoman of a political party, according to recent reports from various media sources.

IPOB denies any role in these assaults, despite the Nigerian government blaming the organization for them. The separatist group in Nigeria has been involved in a conflict against the government since 2021. Founded in 2012, IPOB aims to secede from Nigeria and restore the Republic of Biafra, which existed before the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970).

According to an Intersociety study, Nigeria is one of the most dangerous countries in Africa for Christians. The ecumenical organization Open Doors also determined that Nigeria accounts for 89 per cent of all Christian killings globally.