Etim Effiong
Gunmen on Sunday morning kidnapped a Catholic priest in Imo State, Rev. Prof. Izu Marcell Onyeocha.
It was learnt that Onyeocha kidnapped around 7:00 am at Ihube Community in Okigwe Local Government Area of Imo State along Enugu-Port Harcourt Express Road.
The victim, who is a lecturer in the Faculty of Humanities at the Imo State University, is a native of Avuru Community in Ikeduru council area.
It was gathered that he was going to Owerri from Enugu when the gunmen abducted him.
A resident of Okigwe town said the cleric was driving when the gunmen accosted him.
The hoodlums were said to have shot continuously in the air to force him to stop.
It was not clear if the cleric drove alone, but a resident said: “The kidnappers shot continuously in the air to scare away other road users at the scene of the operation. They drove the cleric in his car at the scene of the incident.”
The Police Public Relations Officer in Imo State, Ikeokwu Orlando, could not be reached for comments as his telephone line rang out.
He did not also respond to text message which was sent into his telephone by the CitizenDiary correspondent.