A Catholic Priest from Onitsha Archdiocese Joseph Igweagu has been abducted by gunmen in Anambra State.
The priest in charge of St. Joseph’s Parish Abata Nsugbe, a community in Anambra East Local Government was abducted by the gunmen on Wednesday, in Umunnachi, a community in Njikoka Local Government Area of the state.
This was disclosed by the chancellor of the archdiocese, Emeka Aroh, in a statement on Tuesday.
According to him, Igweagu was abducted while he was returning to his house after holding a funeral vigil mass in the community.
He solicited “sincere prayers” from Catholic faithful for the release of the cleric.
The statement titled, ‘An Urgent Call for Sincere Prayer – Re: Kidnap of Rev. Fr Joseph Igweagu’, was signed by the Archdiocesan Chancellor of Catholics Archdiocese of Onitsha, Rev. Fr. Prudentius Emeja Aroh.
The statement read: “It is with shock but strong faith in the love and protection of God that we announce to the priests, religious, lay faithful of Onitsha Archdiocese and all men and women of goodwill, the abduction of our Priest, Rev. Fr. Joseph Igweagu, the Parish Priest of St Joseph Parish, Abata Nsugbe.
“Rev. Fr. Joseph was kidnapped while returning to his house after celebrating a funeral vigil mass at Umunnachi on Wednesday evening, October 12, 2022.
“We solicit sincere prayer for his unconditional release from the hands of his abductors. The Archdiocese of Onitsha is doing everything possible to secure his freedom.
“While we pray for the conversion of his abductors, we call on our Mother Mary, the undoer of knots, to intercede on his behalf so that he will be quickly released unhurt.”
