A Catholic priest has been kidnapped in Nigeria, along with six other men.
Armed militants abducted the seven men on 17th September.
Father Marcellinus Obioma Okide was en-route to his parish, in Udi, Enugu State when the incident took place.
In response, Father Wilfred Chidi Agubuchie, Enugu diocesan chancellor and secretary, has called on the Christian community to pray for the swift and safe release of the priest.
Six other travellers were also taken captive, according to reports by Vanguard News Nigeria with their captors demanding a ransom of 100 million Nigeria Nairas (over £100,000), for their release.
According to Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need, the kidnapping of priests and Christians is becoming increasingly common across the region. A recent report from the charity found that more Christians are killed in Nigeria than anywhere else in the world.
In 2022, there were 145-recorded attacks on Catholic priests there, according to data from Nigerian geopolitical research group SB Morgen Intelligence.
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Article by Heather Preston
Heather Preston is a multimedia journalist for Premier.
