October 18, (THEWILL) – A Catholic Priest from Onitsha Archdiocese has been abducted by gunmen in Anambra State.
Igweagu is the priest in charge of St. Joseph’s Parish Abata Nsugbe, a community in Anambra East Local Government Area of the state.
He was abducted by the gunmen on Wednesday, in Umunnachi, a community in Njikoka Local Government Area of the state.
The chancellor of the archdiocese, Emeka Aroh, who disclosed this in a statement, said Igweagu was abducted while he was returning to his house after holding a funeral vigil mass in the community.
He solicited “sincere prayers” from Catholic faithful for the release of the cleric.
The statement titled, ‘An Urgent Call for Sincere Prayer – Re: Kidnap of Rev. Fr Joseph Igweagu’, was signed by the Archdiocesan Chancellor of Catholics Archdiocese of Onitsha, Rev. Fr. Prudentius Emeja Aroh.
It was, however, silent on whether his abductors had called to demand ransom or not.
The statement read: “It is with shock but strong faith in the love and protection of God that we announce to the priests, religious, lay faithful of Onitsha Archdiocese and all men and women of goodwill, the abduction of our Priest, Rev. Fr. Joseph Igweagu, the Parish Priest of St Joseph Parish, Abata Nsugbe.
“Rev. Fr. Joseph was kidnapped while returning to his house after celebrating a funeral vigil mass at Umunnachi on Wednesday evening, October 12, 2022.
“We solicit sincere prayer for his unconditional release from the hands of his abductors. The Archdiocese of Onitsha is doing everything possible to secure his freedom.
“While we pray for the conversion of his abductors, we call on our Mother Mary, the undoer of knots, to intercede on his behalf so that he will be quickly released unhurt.”
When contacted on Tuesday, the police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, said he was not aware of the abduction.
“I don’t have such a report before here”, he said.
He, however, urged the leadership of the church “to come forward to the police” and furnish them with information that will aid police investigation into the incident.
“It is a very condemnable one. It’s not a good development at all”, said Ikenga, a deputy superintendent of police.
