Abducted Catholic Nuns Rescued by Police
Three Catholic nuns and three women accompanying them, abducted in Edo state, on Nov. 13, 2017, were rescued by the police after spending nearly two months in captivity.
The religious sisters were members of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus (EHJ) Convent, located in the south of Nigeria.
The kidnappers had taken the women from their residence, and fled via speedboat to an unknown destination.
The convent later received a ransom demand for $55,000, but the mother superior, Sister Agatha Osarekho said no money was ever handed over.
“No ransom was paid. Well, we know that [the police] did their best because they are aware. They had to do their work. The most important thing is that our sisters are out,” the mother superior said.
“We are happy, to God be the glory! One was released [Saturday] and the others were also released today [Sunday]. They are fine and are receiving some medical checkup in a hospital,” she said.
She said the other three women with whom the sisters were kidnapped will be helped to “settle down” before they are reunited with their families.
“Their families have been anxious. So, we will get the sisters to speak with them,” she said.
The police commissioner, Johnson Kokumo, said the captives were freed during a police operation, but the gunmen escaped.
“Police operatives closed in on the daredevil kidnappers and they had no other option than to release the reverend sisters,” Kokumo told local media.
“We thank all the men and women of goodwill who worked and prayed tirelessly behind the scenes for the release of our sisters. We thank the mother superior of the EHJ for her patience and strong will, and her sisters for their solidarity during these days of trial,” said Father Kevin Oselumhense Anetor, from the Diocese of Uromi.
“We thank the Catholic Archdioceses of Benin and Lagos for their support and prayers, and indeed the Catholic and non-Catholic world, for their vigilance and prayers. We also thank YOU, yes YOU, for your active participation on social media. Your thousands of comments, shares, and prayers went a long way,” the priest said in a Facebook post.
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