The gunmen suspected of being kidnappers have kidnapped a Catholic priest identified as Philip Ekeli and Peter Andrew, a seminarian.
Daily Post reports that the duo was kidnapped approximately Monday at 11:30 pm in the Catholic Church of San Pedro in Iviukwa in the area of the local government of Etsako East of the State of Edo.
The EDO State Police command confirmed the kidnapping.
He said that one of the suspects was killed while four others were arrested.
The image manufacturer of the command, Moses Yamu, revealed this in a statement made available to journalists in Benin City, on Tuesday.
Yamu listed the suspects arrested such as Murtala Ibrahim, 32, Joshua Joseph, 31, Sadiq Sheidu, 35 and Bulus Sunday, 28.
He said that the sum of N168,850, two pairs of rubber shoes, a Tecno phone button with 2 SIM cards, an energy bank, a dagger jacket, a bag that contains cookies and drinks Nescafè recovered from the suspects.
The statement is partly read: “On 03/03/2025 around 2330, the command received a call from an anguish of a worried citizen that armed men suspected of being shepherds broke into the Catholic Church of San Pedro in the community of Ivukwa, Etsako East Lga, Reverend Philip Ekeli and Pedro Seminarista Pedro Pedro Pedro Pedro Pedro Pedro
“The Police initiated a rescue operation that involved the operation of rescue equipment, guards and hunters and quickly haste to the scene and hired the attackers in a weapons duel.
“One of the suspects whose name is unknown was neutralized, and the body deposited in the General Hospital Agenebodia.
“Two (2) rubber shoes pairs, a Tecno phone button with 2 SIM cards, one (1) energy bank, a dagger jacket, a bag that contains cookies and drinks Nescafè, the sum of one hundred sixty -eight thousand, eight hundred and fifty naira (168,850) recovered in their possession.
“In addition, the following suspects; Murtala Ibrahim, 32, Joshua Joseph, 31, Sadiq Sheidu 35 years and Bulus Sunday 28 years were arrested. ”
The Public Relations officer of the Command added that the police commissioner in the state, Betty Enekpen Isakpan, has immediately detailed additional teams of the kidnapping unit to join forces with the police force personnel along with their military counterparts in the area.
He said the deployment was to guarantee the unconditional release of the victims and stop the abductors.
Daily Post gathered that the president of the Police Community Relations Committee, PCRC, gave a call of anguish to the security agents that the Church was under siege.
It was learned that security agencies, including rapid response team agents (RRS), were deployed on the scene, where they confirmed the kidnapping of the priest and the seminarian
It was reported that the alleged kidnappers led their victims to a nearby bush.