By Charles Igwe
The Catholic Diocese of Auchi, Nigeria, has called for prayers following the abduction of Fr. Philip Ekweli and a major seminarian from their parish rectory on Monday, March 3.
In a statement released on Tuesday, March 4, the Diocese’s Director of Communications, Fr. Peter Egielewa, confirmed that gunmen attacked St. Peter Catholic Church in Iviukhua-Agenebode, Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State.
“The priest’s rectory and church were violently attacked by gunmen. Doors and windows in both the rectory and church were pulled down, accompanied by gunshots. The local vigilantes engaged the kidnappers in a gun duel,” Fr. Egielewa recounted.
Despite efforts to resist the attack, the priest and seminarian were taken into the nearby forest due to the kidnappers’ superior firepower. As of the time of the statement, there had been no contact with the abductors.
Fr. Egielewa urged the faithful and all people of goodwill to join in prayers for the safe and unharmed release of Fr. Ekweli and the seminarian.
The statement also conveyed the reaction of Bishop Gabriel Ghiakhomo Dunia, who expressed deep concern over the increasing rate of kidnappings in the diocese.
“The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Auchi expresses sadness at the frequency at which priests in his diocese are attacked and kidnapped. The once peaceful Edo North, which houses the Diocese of Auchi, has become a field of the absurd where kidnappers operate at will, taking people for ransom,” Fr. Egielewa stated.
He lamented that the diocese had become a “business center for kidnappers” and called on the Nigerian government to take urgent action to address the persistent security challenges in Edo North and other parts of the state.
Recalling the diocese’s struggle with insecurity, Fr. Egielewa noted that Auchi Diocese, which recently marked its 22nd anniversary on February 22, has witnessed the abduction of over eight priests in the past five years, with one brutally murdered in 2022.
