Tobias Sylvester
Gunmen have kidnapped four reverend sisters while on their way to a thanksgiving mass in the Okigwe-Umulolo axis of Okigwe Local Government Area of Imo state.
Reverend Sisters Kidnapped
Zita Ihedoro, secretary-general of The Sisters of Jesus The Saviour Generalate, in a statement on Sunday, identified the kidnapped victims as Johannes Nwodo, Christabel Echemazu, Liberata Mbamalu, and Benita Agu.
The statement reads, “Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it is with great pain that we bring to your notice the kidnapping of four of our sisters mentioned above.
“The sad event of their abduction occurred around Okigwe-Umulolo axis this morning shortly after the sisters were on their way to the thanksgiving mass of our sister.
“We implore for an intense prayer for their quick and safe release. May Jesus the Saviour listen to our prayers and may Our Mother Mary intercede for the unconditional release of our dear sisters.”
A resident of the community who spoke on the condition of anonymity said kidnapping has become incessant around Ihube-Okigwe road.
“Despite several army checkpoints mounted around our community, kidnapping has become a weekly occurrence, if not daily,” the resident said.
“Last time, it was a reverend father that was kidnapped and today, four reverend sisters [were] kidnapped on the same day.”
The Spokesperson for the police in the state, Micheal Abattam, had yet to respond to an inquiry concerning the abduction as of the time of filing this report.
This comes one week after gunmen kidnapped a Catholic priest, Fr Chinedu Nwadike, and a seminarian, Emmanuel Nwafor, on their way to Enugu State.
