…assures rescue of kidnapped priests in progress
By Isaac Aimurie, Henry Oqua & Eguasa Godspower
The Acting Governor of Edo State, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu, has held an emergency Security Council Meeting with heads of security agencies and religious leaders in the State to urgently review current security trends in the State and re-strategize to deal with emerging threats.
Shaibu who spoke to journalists after the over four-hour meeting said: “We discussed and brainstormed on a lot of issues affecting our State and in the coming days our people will see the implementation, things will be fine.”
He maintained that “in line with security tradition we have to be careful about the information we give out in order not to jeopardize the efforts of the security agencies.”
Responding to questions about efforts being made to rescue the kidnapped catholic priests; Rev. Father Udo of St. Patrick Catholic Church Uromi, and Rev. Father Philemon Oboh, of St. Joseph Retreat Centre, Ugboha, who were kidnapped on Saturday night, the Acting Governor said: “It is work in progress.”
He assured that the State government is committed to securing the church and everyone in the community as well as their property.
Commissioner for Police in the State, Abutu Yaro, also reinforced that the rescue effort of the kidnapped catholic priests “is work in progress.”
He emphasized: “We have reviewed the overall security situation of the State, we have adopted measures that are relevant to the needs of the moment and the needs of the future, and we wish to inform all persons in the State and beyond that the government of the State is on top of the situation and people should be reassured that despite the situation of the moment, the ship of State is under control and the security is stable and well coordinated.”
Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Edo State, Bishop Oriname Oyonnude Kure, said “the church is praying, we know that the government is taking very strong measures in dealing with this issue, and very soon criminality will be dealt with, uprooted and destroyed.”
Kure commiserated with the Catholic Secretariat for the attacks on the church and assured that God is with the church.
