Gunmen in police uniform abduct seven Christians in Enugu

Gunmen reportedly wearing police uniforms on Sunday, May 19, 2022, invaded Ibite Awhum community in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State and kidnapped seven Christian pilgrims praying in a mountain.

The SUPREME learnt that the victims were abducted at about 6 pm.

Ironically, the same day gunmen evaded a church in Kaduna, shot at the worshippers, wounded sone and abducted some.

A source disclosed that the kidnappers abducted the pilgrims while they were praying at a popular mountain top near the Monastery and took them deep into the forest.

However, Enugu Police Command confirmed today that the victims had been rescued yesterday Tuesday, following the spirited efforts of forest guards, vigilante groups and the police.

A pilgrim who witnessed the incident but managed to evade the marauders was said to have raised an alarm that drew the attention of the villagers.

The security agents were said to have swung into action immediately after they received the information and pursued the kidnappers.

A source said that the forest guards in the area pursued the kidnappers and contacted their counterparts at Ogbeke Nike, Enugu East Local Government, who also mobilised from their community.

Apparently seeing that they were being hunted aggressively from both communities, the kidnappers were said to have fled, leaving the captives alone in their camp where they were discovered by the guards, along with a victim from another incident.

Narrating their ordeal, the victim at the Monastery, reportedly said they were praying on the hill when suddenly they were surrounded by about seven Fulani-looking men wearing police uniforms.

They said the bandits took all their phones and ordered them into the forest.

They said when they got to the bandits’ camp deep in the forest, they found another kidnap victim there.

Reports said, the victim, for reasons they did not know the kidnappers suddenly became panicky and subsequently ran into the forest, leaving them alone and confused before the forest guards appeared.

Enugu State Police Command said, seven of the kidnapped victims have been rescued.

In a statement by the command spokesman, DSP Daniel Ndukwe to The SUPREME today Wednesday, May 22, 2022, explained that “the Police with assistance from Forest Guard and Neighborhood Watch personnel, in the early hours of yesterday Wednesday 21/06/2022, rescued the seven victims in a forest at Okpatu community of Udi LGA.

He said, the victims include a couple, alleged to have been abducted by unidentified armed men, while they went to pray at one “Mount Calvary” located in a forest at Awhum community of the same LGA, on Sunday 19/06/2022 at about 6.30 pm.

According to him, “security surveillance has been mounted in the area and discreet investigation has been launched to fish out the perpetrators.