Gunmen Abduct Seminarian, Worshippers During Church Service in Enugu

Gunmen on Sunday invaded St. Joseph Catholic Church, Inoyi, in the Affa community of Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State, abducting three persons, including a seminarian, during a morning church service.

The attack reportedly occurred at about 8:30 a.m. when the armed men stormed the church and whisked away three worshippers, causing panic among congregants.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Enugu State Police Command, SP Daniel Ndukwe, said a joint security team comprising police operatives, forest guards and members of the neighbourhood watch group immediately launched a rescue operation.

Ndukwe disclosed that security operatives, while pursuing the fleeing gunmen, forced them to abandon one of the victims, who was rescued unharmed. He, however, said the attackers escaped with the remaining two victims.

According to the police spokesperson, the Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Mamman Giwa, has directed the Area Commander and the Head of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) to intensify efforts to rescue the remaining victims and apprehend the perpetrators.

He added that the Commissioner also ordered the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Intelligence Department (SID) to generate actionable human and technical intelligence to support the operation, while the Command’s surveillance and technical capabilities have been activated to strengthen the rescue mission.

“The Commissioner urges residents of the community to remain calm and continue to support the police with credible and actionable information. The Command is deploying every available operational resource to ensure the safe rescue of the remaining victims and bring the perpetrators to justice,” Ndukwe said.

The police further appealed to members of the public with useful information to contact the Command through its emergency lines as investigations and rescue efforts continue.