Suspected gunmen have abducted the Bishop of the Anglican Communion, Jebba Diocese, Kwara State, Rev Oluwaseun Aderogba.
Aderogba, his wife and his driver were kidnapped along Ogbomoso-Oyo Road in Oyo State.
The Kwara State Diocesan Bishop of the Anglican Communion, Bishop Sunday Adewole, confirmed the abduction of the clergyman and his co-travellers.
He said the victims were kidnapped on Sunday evening between Oyo and Kwara State when they were attempting to fix their faulty vehicle on the highway.
He said the abductors have contacted the Church, demanding for N50m ransom.
LEADERSHIP gathered that Aderogba, his wife and his driver were returning from a function in Ogun State before the vehicle developed fault which led to the abrupt stoppage of the journey along Oyo/Ogbomoso highway where they were abducted.
Bishop Adewole described the incident as a sign of total collapse of the country’s security architecture.
He recommended state policing as an antidote to the problem of insecurity in the country.
Confirming their kidnap, the police said they were abducted while fixing their vehicle which developed a mechanical fault while travelling from Yewa, Ogun State to Jebba, Kwara State enroute an isolated area along New Oyo/Ogbomoso Expressway.
The bishop’s chaplain, who was with the victims said, “We were travelling from Jebba to Oyo when it was a few kilometres to Oyo our vehicle developed a fault. My Lord Bishop called the Lord Bishop of Oyo Bishop Aladekugbe for help.
“However, before help surfaced some armed men surrounded them and ordered them into the bush. I was lucky I was not visible because of my black cassock. I fell flat on my belly to hide myself while they marched my bishop and wife deep into the forest.
“Bishop Aladekugbe rose to the occasion to alert the leadership of the church Most Revd Henry Ndukuba and other members of the house of bishops.
“It took hours to hear from the abductors through the wife of the bishop whom they allowed to speak in a few seconds with one of the bishops asking for N50m ransom.”
The police in a statement by Oyo State Police Command’s public relations officer, Osifeso Adewale, said Rev. Adekunle Adeluwa reported to the command through an incident report at Atiba Divisional Police Headquarters, Oyo town at about 8:30pm.
Osifeso said ‘The deputy commissioner of police in charge of Operations of the Command is in charge of the rescue operation that has commenced since 2100HRS of Sunday 12/06/2022.’’
Also a Catholic priest of St Anthony’s Parish, Angware community in Jos East local government area of Plateau State, Rev James Kantoma, had been kidnapped by unknown gunmen in the area.
LEADERSHIP gathered that Kantoma who is also the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Jos East LGA was abducted from his house in the community by gunmen in the early hours of yesterday.
The state chairman of CAN, Polycarp Lubo, described the incident as unfortunate.
Lubo said, “Since the gunmen took the Reverend Father away, we have not heard anything either from him or the abductors up till this afternoon. This is so sad! But we are praying for him that no harm will befall him wherever he is.
“Investigation by our correspondent also revealed that some youths in the area, who were alerted to the development, gave the gunmen a hot chase into the bush but they shot sporadically and eventually took the Reverend Father away.”
Meanwhile, the police public relations officer Alabo Alfred, when contacted said the command was aware of the incident and had deployed officers and men from the anti-kidnapping unit to the community with the view to rescue the kidnapped cleric.
According to him, the anti-kidnapping squad is already working to ensure that the reverend father regains his freedom and apprehend those behind the abduction.
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