Nigeria: Seminary Rector offers himself in place of two students about to be kidnapped

Paul Samasumo - Vatican City

Diocese of Auchi Director of Communications, Fr. Peter Egielewa, said the students and priests were attacked by gunmen in the seminary chapel on Sunday night at about 7 pm during their evening prayers and Benediction.

“The institution’s Rector, Rev. Fr. Thomas Oyode, was abducted and led into the bush. However, the Vice Rector and all the seminarians have been accounted for and are safe and temporarily relocated to a safe area until security measures around the seminary are tightened. Unfortunately, no communication has been had with the abductors yet,” said Egielewa in a Statement seen by Vatican News.

The Rector took the place of his students

According to an Agenzia Fides report, Fr. Oyode pleaded with the bandits to release the two seminarians and offered himself in their place.

Quoting unnamed sources, Agenzia Fides says after breaking into the seminary, the attackers started shooting into the air and then abducted two students from the school. Fr. Oyode, who is the Rector of the seminary, came into the seminary courtyard and, upon being confronted by the bandits with the two students as hostages, pleaded with the gunmen to let go of the boys by offering himself in their place. The kidnappers agreed, and he was then dragged away by the bandits into the bush.

The Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary was established by the Catholic Bishop of Auchi, Dr. Gabriel Dunia, in 2006 to train young men who could then proceed to the major seminary to start priestly formation.