Four days after being kidnapped along the Elele-Isiokpo Road in Ikwere Local Government Area of Rivers State, Rev. Father Livinus Maurice and two others have regained their freedom.
Father Maurice, who serves as the Parish Priest of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Isokpo, was abducted last Wednesday while returning from a hospital visit with two unidentified individuals.
In response to the incident, the Catholic Diocese of Port Harcourt, speaking on behalf of Bishop Bernadine Anaele, issued a statement demanding the priest’s immediate and unconditional release.
Grace Iringe-Koko, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, confirmed their release in a statement on Sunday. She credited the success to the coordinated efforts of the police, soldiers from the Joint Task Force, and local vigilante groups. According to her, the sustained pressure from these security forces compelled the kidnappers to release their captives at around 6:30 a.m. on Sunday.
“Their freedom was secured due to pressure from the joint security team, which included police officers, soldiers from the Joint Task Force in Isiokpo, and local vigilantes,” Iringe-Koko stated. “The victims have since been reunited with their families and are receiving medical attention. Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to apprehend those responsible.”
In a separate incident, another Catholic priest, Rev. Father Jude Onyeka, was abducted in Onitsha, Anambra State.
Onyeka, formerly the Parish Priest of St. Edmund Catholic Church in Nkpor, was kidnapped on Thursday near the Building Materials Section of Ugwunwasike Bypass in Ogidi, Idemili North Local Government Area. Recently transferred to St. Dominic Catholic Church in Abatete, he remains missing, and his abductors have yet to make contact.
The Chancellor of the Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha, Rev. Father Prudentus Aroh, confirmed the abduction and called for prayers for Onyeka’s safe return. He conveyed a message from Archbishop Valerian M. Okeke, urging the faithful to seek divine intervention for the priest’s release.
