Nine days after he was kidnapped, the Catholic Priest of St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Ivukwa, in the Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, Rev. Fr. Peter Ekweli, has been released by his abductors.

But the fate of the seminarian who was abducted with him, Peter Andrew, remained unknown.

A viral video on Thursday showed a kidnap victim, surrounded by uniformed men believed to be vigilantes, claiming that he was kidnapped and put in the same location with the priest and seminarian.

The victim said they were all forced to close their eyes, and in the process, they heard a gunshot.

Then, they were told to open their eyes, and they saw the seminarian battling for his life before he died.

He said they trekked to a place in Edo Central from where he escaped.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Moses Yamu, claimed that the priest had been rescued by the police and that the police would soon come up with an official statement.

According to a source, the Catholic Church will also issue a statement on Friday about the priest’s release.

The Troops of Sub-Sector 4, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, ambushed bandits and neutralised three of them off the Kaduna-Abuja highway.

Acting Deputy Director Army Public Relations, 1 Division, Nigerian Army, Lt-Col. Musa Yahaya, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Wednesday in Kaduna.

Yahaya said, “In a well-coordinated operation on Tuesday, troops of Sub-Sector 4, Operation FANSAN YAMMA successfully neutralised three Violent Extremists and Insurgents (VEIs) in an ambush at an area near Ngwagi Hill, Gwagwada Community, off the Kaduna – Abuja highway in Chikun LGA of Kaduna State.”

The spokesman said that the success of the operation was based on acting on credible intelligence that the VEI was sighted near Ngwagi Hill.

He said that troops were immediately deployed on long-range fighting patrol to the likely road-crossing point of the insurgents.

According to him, the troops got to the location at about 5.30 p.m. on the same date. They successfully launched the ambush, which effectively neutralised three armed members of the criminal group.

“During the operation, troops also recovered a cache of arms and ammunition, including two AK-47 rifles, eight AK-47 rifle magazines, 374 rounds of 7.62mm x 39 special ammunition and 88 rounds of 7.62mm x 54 NATO ammunition.

Other items recovered were one Infinix mobile phone, medical supplies, clothing, and dry rations, ” Yahaya said.

He said the operation’s success was a testament to the troops’ high fighting morale and combat efficiency.

“This achievement is also due to the effective collaboration between the military and intelligence agencies, which provided credible intelligence that informed the operation.

He said the General Officer Commanding 1 Division, Nigerian Army, and Commander Sector 1 Joint Task Force Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Maj.-Gen. Mayirenso Saraso, commended the troops for their resilience and successful conduct of the operation.

He charged the troops not to relent on their oars until all criminal elements operating in the Division and the Sector’s area of operational responsibility were neutralised.

NAN

Tragedy struck in Oron, Akwa Ibom State, on what is now dubbed a Black Monday, after a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) allegedly butchered his wife to death over suspicions of infidelity.

The suspect, Victor Okoh, aged 42, was arrested by the Akwa Ibom State Police Command following a distress call by shocked neighbours. Officers arrived at their residence around 5:20 am to meet a gruesome scene — the mutilated body of his wife, Victoria Okoh (38), lying in front of their home.

Preliminary investigations reveal that the suspect attacked his wife with a machete, in what many described as an unprovoked and barbaric act. In a failed attempt to escape justice, the pastor was found hiding in the ceiling of the house, but was swiftly apprehended by the police.

The weapon used in the crime has been recovered, and the body of the deceased has been deposited at the General Hospital Morgue for autopsy. Investigations are ongoing.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, has strongly condemned the act, vowing that justice will prevail. He further warned against domestic violence and advised residents to seek peaceful means of settling disputes rather than resorting to bloodshed.

The Command also encouraged members of the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities promptly to law enforcement authorities.