By Chidi Nkwopara
OWERRI —- A yet-to-be-identified gang of bandits, weekend, kidnapped the Parish Priest of Holy Family Catholic Church, Izombe, Rev. Fr. John Ubaechu.
The Chancellor and Archdiocesan Secretary of the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri, Rev. Fr. Patrick Mbara, confirmed the sad development in a press statement, dated March 24, 2025 and made available to newsmen in Owerri yesterday.
Part of the release read: “I am directed to inform you that one of our priests, Rev. Fr. John Ubaechu, was kidnapped on the evening of Sunday, March 23, 2025.
“Rev. Fr. John Ubaechu is the Parish Priest of Holy Family Catholic Church, Izombe.
“The said incident occurred along Ejemekwuru road, in Oguta local government area of Imo State.
“He was kidnapped on his way to the Priests’ Annual Retreat.
“We invite all Christ’s faithful and all men and women of goodwill, to earnestly pray for the quick and safe release of our priests.
“We commend our brother, Rev. Fr. John Ubaechu, to the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of priests, for his speedy release from the hands of his abductors.”
Vanguard recalls that another priest of Owerri Archdiocese, Rev. Fr. Mathias Opara, was similarly kidnapped on this same road in 2023, and released after passing through days of severe torture, unleashed on him by the kidnappers.
Efforts to get the police angle to this story failed, as the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Henry Okoye, neither picked up his calls nor responded to a WhatsApp message sent to him on the matter.
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