Nigeria: Another priest kidnapped

Dec 21st, 2016

Fr Jude Onyebadi

Another Catholic priest in Nigeria, Fr Jude Onyebadi, parish priest of the church of St Peter and Paul in Issele-Azagba, in the Delta region in the south of the country has been kidnapped. Three armed men, suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, are reported to have abducted Fr Jude in his pineapple plantation.

The kidnappers initially asked for 50 million Naira, then went down to 20 million Naira for the release of the priest. The Director of Social Communications of the Diocese of Issele-Uku, Charles Uganwa, confirmed the kidnapping and called on the kidnappers to release the hostages unconditionally, remembering that the Catholic Church does not pay ransoms.

In 2016, several Catholic priests were kidnapped in Nigeria, especially in the southern regions. Fr.Sylvester Onmoke, President of the Nigerian Catholic Diocesan Priests Association, NCDPA has described "the recent spate of kidnappings of priests and religious as an assault on the Church."

Source: Fides

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