Kidnappers kill abducted herbalist

Kidnappers have reportedly killed Mr. Roland Iyida, a herbalist, who was abducted alongside Rev. Fr. Chijioke Amoke, parish priest of Onicha-Enugu in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of the state.

The fate of Fr. Amoke, who was abducted last Wednesday by a kidnap gang who had first abducted the herbalist, hangs precariously in the balance as the church reaffirmed its stand that no ransom would be paid for his release, just as no assistance would be accepted from anyone who volunteers to pay the ransom.

The body of the herbalist was discovered inside the Anglican Church, Uda community in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area by worshippers yesterday morning. A source told Daily Sun that the worshippers alerted the villagers and a report was made at the Ogrute Police Station. The DPO in charge of the station told Daily Sun that his men recovered the herbalist’s body and had since deposited it in the morgue in Ogrute. He declined further comments but said they had no information about the release of the priest.

Rev. Fr. Simon Ukwueze, contact between the priest, the kidnappers and the church, told Daily Sun on phone that the abducted priest had complained of weakness and loss of appetite. In a press statement issued by the Nsukka Catholic Diocese, signed by the Bishop, Most Rev. Dr. Francis Okobo, the church reiterated its stand on ransom, saying that it would not pay a dime and had not paid a dime as ransom for kidnapped clergies.

According to the statement entitled: Horrible kidnap of a Catholic Priest, Reverend Father Chijioke Amoke, “no ransom will be paid to free Fr. Chijioke and whoever tries to do such will be doing both ourselves and Fr. Chijioke more harm than good. We will not pay any ransom and we will not accept anyone pretending to be doing so on our behalf.

“We wish to remind the kidnappers that they can never hold Fr. Chijioke forever. They will surely release him either to us (church) and humanity or return him to God by killing him and thereby end the work God has given him here on earth.”


culled from SUN