By Martin Cole-
Armed men in Nigeria abducted four Catholic nuns in southeastern Imo state Sunday.
The nuns, Sisters Johannes Nwodo, Christabel Echemazu, Liberata Mbamalu and Benita Agu, were seized on their way to Mass.
The convent’s secretary general, Zita Ihedoro, said that the four nuns were travelling from Rivers State to nearby Imo state for a thanksgiving Mass when they were kidnapped on the highway. She called for prayers for the release of the abducted nuns.
The news follows the kidnap last week of a Catholic priest was freed after allegedly paying a huge ransom and spending only two days in detention.
Kidnap for ransom has become rife in Africa’s most populous nation, where insurgency has become the order of the day in some parts of the country, particularly the northern part.
A statement read: “Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it is with great pain that we bring to your notice the kidnapping of four of our sisters mentioned above.”
“The sad event of their abduction occurred around Okigwe-Umulolo area this morning shortly after the sisters were on their way to the thanksgiving Mass of our sister.
The congregation implored “an intense prayer for their quick and safe release” and prayed Our Lord and the Blessed Virgin Mary “for the unconditional release of our dear sisters.”
Mike Umoh, the director of communication at the Catholic Society of Nigeria (CSN), said the abductions are a reality the church has too often confronted.
“It is the unfortunate reaffirmation of the disgusting situation we have found ourselves as a nation,” he said. “And more unfortunate is the reality that the government of the day seems either incapable or unwilling to arrest the situation. We have been speaking against the persistent callous attacks in the country.”
Nigerian authorities have been losing the battle to achieve security in many parts of the country , where criminal activities continue to be rampant.
Last week, the Nigerian Air Force said airstrikes in northwestern Kaduna and Katsina states killed 55 gang members and led to the release of hostages.
On Sunday, the local deputy governor of northwest Zamfara State said a notorious bandit, Bello Turji, has repented and will be working with authorities to restore peace in the region.
President Muhammadu Buhari recently onstructed his military chiefs to “deal with terrorists” without constraints.
Security analyst Darlington Abdullahi said troops are making progress but will need more cooperation from communities.
“This kind of thing should not come as a surprise; all you need is the political will to guide the action of the forces,” Abdullahi said. “We must understand that most of the things that are happening do not come only from the political masters, but the people not supporting the action of the military. The people’s support for security agencies is very, very important, you’ll see the results coming in.”
Last May, the prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria was kidnapped in southeastern Abia State and was freed only after paying over $230,000 to his abductors.
With the 2023 elections coming up in the country, security ranks high among the issues troubling Nigerians.