Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Wukari, Most Rev Mark Nzukwein, has confirmed the abduction of a priest of St Ann’s Parish in Sarkin Kudu, Ibi local government area of Taraba State.
In a statement issued by the communication director of the diocese, Rev. Fr. John Jerome, in Jalingo, he said the priest, Very Rev. Fr Thaddeus Tarhembe, was abducted by four armed men who invaded his rectory at about 2 am yesterday.
Nzukwein called on the public and all people of goodwill to pray for the safety and quick release of the priest by the abductors who are yet to make contact.
Meanwhile, efforts to get reaction from the police to the incident were unsuccessful, as the spokesman of the Police Command in Taraba, SP Abdullahi Usman, did not respond to calls and text messages sent to him. (NAN)
The Police Command in Benue State has said there was no single case of stolen genital organ in Makurdi, the state capital, as wrongly circulated on social media.
The command’s police public relations officer (PPRO), SP Sewuese Anene, told newsmen in Makurdi that the alleged victim of a stolen genital organ only raised false alarm.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a video had gone viral on the social media, where a pastor and his church member were said to have stolen the organ of a yet-to-be-identified person at New Layout, Kanshio area of Makurdi.
NAN also reports that the alleged organ thieves were seriously beaten, with one of them seen naked in the viral video.
Anene said that since the allegations of stolen organs had become viral in some states across the country, most f the victims had consistently failed to prove that their genital organs were actually missing.
She said that victims usually raised false alarm, while the unsuspecting members of the public would attack the suspected thieves without carrying out any investigation.
The PPRO further said that she interviewed the two alleged thieves at ‘B’ Division Police Station, Makurdi, and discovered that they were innocent, adding that their stories were pathetic.
“Someone will raise the alarm and a group of youths, who know nothing about what happened, will begin to torture innocent people. This is inhuman and stands condemned.
“According to them, a young man raised the alarm of theft of genital organ.
“The youth picked up the closest person and beat him up till he decided to admit and mention his pastor as the person who sent him, with the hope that the pastor would come and save him.
“The youth got the same pastor and beat him up as well. Help came when the police got to know and rescued them.
“This is too bad; there is no element of truth in this. Since the history of these allegations, it has never been proven, and complainants are usually advised that nothing is wrong with them,” she said.
Anene said efforts were ongoing to arrest those behind the act.
