After four days in captivity following his abduction by gunmen on the Elele-Isiokpo road in the Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, Rev. Father Livinus Maurice and two others have been liberated.
Father Maurice, who is the parish priest at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Isiokpo, was taken while returning from a hospital visit last Wednesday, alongside two individuals whose identities have not been confirmed.
In the wake of the abduction, the Catholic Diocese of Port Harcourt, representing Bishop Bernadine Anaele, issued a statement urging for the immediate and unconditional release of the priest.
The spokesperson for the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed their release in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Sunday.
Iringe-Koko said a police manhunt led to the successful release of the priest and the two others.
She stated that they were freed at about 6:30 am on Sunday due to pressure from a combined security team, including police officers, soldiers from the Joint Task Force, and local vigilantes.
The statement read: “Please be informed that today, February 16, 2025, at about 06:30 hrs, information was received that the kidnapped victims, Rev. Father Livinus Maurice and others, have been released by their captors.
“Their release followed pressure from a combined security team comprising police officers, soldiers from the Joint Task Force in Isiokpo, and local vigilantes.
“The victims have been reunited with their families for medical attention, while efforts are ongoing to arrest the culprits.”