Anxiety over abducted Catholic bishop, abductors yet to make contact

There is tension in Imo State and indeed among the Catholic in the country following the refusal of the abductors of the Auxiliary Bishop of Owerri Catholic Archdiocese, Most Rev. Moses Chikwe, and his driver, Mr Ndubuisi Robert, to establish contact with the church and the victims’ families.

It is already three days after their abduction and no word has come yet from the gunmen and there are rummours that they may have been killed.

But Archbishop of the Owerri Catholic Archdiocese, Most Rev. Anthony Obinna, dismissed the rumour, urging Catholics and others to disregard the report that Bishop Chikwe had been killed by his abductors.

The cleric was kidnapped by gunmen suspected to be abductors alongside his driver around World Bank area of Owerri on Sunday evening.

His vehicle was later found in front of Maria Assumpta Cathedral, the archdiocesan headquarters, in Owerri.

Reports from the church and families of the abductees indicate that the kidnappers have yet to establish contact with them..

The rumours of the killing of the bishop on the social media have aggravated the people’s anxiety.

But the Head of the Owerri Catholic Ecclesiastical Province, Archbishop Anthony Obinna, said people should disregard the report.

He said the abducted bishop was alive and that the police were working to locate him and the his abductors