Two Catholic Priests Kidnapped in Delta State, Nigeria
By Charles Nwoke
Two Catholic priests, Rev. Fr. Raphael Ogigbah, Parish priest of St. Francis Catholic Parish Agbarha-Otor, Catholic Diocese of Warri, and Rev. Fr. Kunav Chochos, a Missionary Priest of the Schoenstartt Fathers have been abducted by unknown gunmen.
The clergy were kidnapped in front of Michael and Cecilia Ibru University, Agbarha-Otor in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State on Saturday night.
Rev. Fr. Kunav Chochos who works and lives in Ibadan, Oyo State, had visited his brother priest and friend, Fr Raphael Ogigbah, at Agbarha-Otor, close to Ughelli.
Both priests of the Catholic Church later went to a nearby parish to visit another priest friend, but on their way back in the night, the suspected hoodlums stopped their vehicle and whisked them away to an unknown destination.
At the time of filing this report, it wasn’t clear if the kidnappers had established contact with the families of the victims yet or demanded any ransom.
Efforts to reach the Director of Communications, Catholic Diocese of Warri, Rev. Fr. Thaddeus Okpowodu, proved abortive.
Meanwhile, the Delegate Superior of the Schoenstartt Fathers, Very Rev. Fr. Okereke Kingsley Kizito, in a memo issued on Sunday, corroborated the kidnapping incident of the two priests.
The memo reads; “Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, it is with great pain and concern that we come to you with this sad notice. Our brother, Fr. Chochos Kunav, SchoenstarttFathers, lives and works in Ibadan. However, he travelled to Warri yesterday to visit his friend, Fr. Raphael Ogigbah of the Catholic Diocese of Warri and the Parish Priest of St. Francis Catholic Church Agbarha-Otor, Ughelli North, Delta State.
”Unfortunately, after a short visit to the priest in a nearby parish, both Fr. Chochos Kunav and Fr. Raphael Ogigbahwase was kidnapped last night on their way back to the parish of Fr. Raphael Ogigbah. The incidents occurred on the road, in front of the Ibru University, Agbarha-Otor.
“We ask for intense prayers for quick and safe release.”
Also, when contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the Delta State Police Command, DSP Bright Edafe, confirmed the incident, stating that it was unfortunate that the priests had to go through such a precarious situation, but assured that his men were on the trail of the kidnappers.
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