Catholics Vow not to Negotiate with Reverend Father’s Abductors

The Catholic diocese of Ekiti on Friday said it won’t pay any ransom or negotiate payment of ransom with the captors of Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Akingbade, a priest of the diocese.

Reverend Father Akingbade was on Tuesday kidnapped in Ido Ekiti by three gunmen around 7.30 pm who whisked him away to an unknown destination.

As at Friday, neither the family nor the Church had been able to establish contact with the abducted priest.

The church on Thursday held a mass to seek divine intervention and the timely release of Fr. Akingbade, who is also the Parish Priest of St. Benedict’s Catholic Church, Ido Ekiti and others kept in captivity by kidnappers across the country.

It was gathered that the captors had been calling unsuspecting members of the public using Fr. Akingbade’s mobile phone to raise money for his release.

The abductors had earlier demanded N20m from the priest while taking him away on the fateful day.

In his sermon at the mass held at St. Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral, Ado Ekiti and celebrated by the Bishop of the diocese, Most Rev Felix Ajakaye, Rev.Fr. Clement Ogunlusi, appealed to the captors to release the priest and others held in captivity unconditionally without further delay.

Ogunlusi, who decried the poor state of security across the country, however, urged the people not to abuse or curse the captors but to pray for them for change of heart.

“The security in our country today is nothing to write home about, even soldiers and police are afraid, not to talk about us, the poor masses. But we appeal to you to pray for them, don’t abuse or curse them.

“These people have continued to threaten the peace of this country. If we continue to curse them, we make them more hardened and they do more harm to the country. So, let’s pray for them for God to touch their hearts, they are human beings like us”, he admonished.

He charged members of the public not to harbour criminals but to expose those with criminal tendencies in order to reduce crimes in the country.

Ogunlusi lamented that negative reports about the country were doing more damage than good to the country.

At the mass were the Bishop Emeritus of the diocese, Most Rev. Olatunji Fagun, Rev. Sisters, priests and parishioners.