Unknown gunmen late Friday evening abducted Most Reverend Ignatius Kattey, the second most senior cleric in the Nigerian Anglican Communion, who is also the Dean of the Church, around Aleto-Eleme, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Kattey, who is an Arch-Bishop of the church and the Bishop of the Niger Delta Diocese, was kidnapped alongside his wife, Beatrice. She was abandoned in the bishop’s car somewhere later.
Sunday Tribune gathered that the cleric and his wife left their country home in Eleme for Port Harcourt late because they did not want to violate the environmental sanitation exercise edict on Saturday morning. They were kidnapped on their way to Port Harcourt around 10:30p.m.
A source informed that Kattey and his wife were to receive the Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, who was to arrive at the Port Harcourt International Airport at 10a.m on Saturday on a visit to one of the dioceses in the Niger Delta province.
“The Arch-Bishop and his wife left their village on Friday, so they could sleep in Port Harcourt since Saturday was sanitation exercise and there would be restriction of movement.
“Being the second-in-command in the Anglican Church in Nigeria, he was supposed to be at the airport at exactly 10.00 a.m to receive the Primate,” the source said.
Immediately the people of Eleme heard about the kidnap, they mobilised and joined security agents in search of the cleric.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Angela Agabe (DSP), confirmed the incident and said the police were making efforts to rescue the Arch-Bishop, as well as arrest the kidnappers.
“I can confirm that the Arch-Bishop and his wife were kidnapped on Friday at about 10.45 pm. Due to the close chase by the police, the kidnappers dropped his wife, and disappeared with him”, she said.
On Saturday, the Police Command in Rivers, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt that detectives and Anti-kidnap Unit were on top of the case and they had commenced serious search to free the bishop unharmed.
“No group has claimed responsibility and no ransom demand has been made,’’ she said.
Agabe urged the people to give police useful information that would assist it fight crime in the state.
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