Seminarians kidnapped at the Catholic Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary School in Ivianokpodi, Agenebode, Etsako East Local Government Area, Edo State, have asked their parents and supporters to aid in obtaining their release.
According to reports, gunmen assaulted the institution on July 10, killing a civil defence corps officer and abducting three seminarians.
One of the abductees was eventually released, but the other two have remained in the kidnappers’ cave ever since.
When they were abducted, the Commissioner of Police in Edo State, Monday Agbonika, ordered the urgent deployment of tactical teams to apprehend the abductors and rescue the seminarians unharmed.
Agbonika said, “The operatives will not relent until those behind this reprehensible act are tracked down and made to face the full wrath of the law.”
However, in a recent video clip allegedly made by the kidnappers, the two adolescent seminarians are shown imploring their parents and members of the public to pay for their release.
Surrounded by masked gunmen, the seminarians were seen brandishing dried human skulls.
They were heard saying, “They kill people here. Our abductors have threatened to kill us. Please, send money to them to spare our lives.”
Rev. Fr Peter Egielewa, the spokesperson for the Catholic Diocese of Auchi, confirmed that the video was real.
Egielewa said, “The video you see of the seminarians holding a human skull is real. We are negotiating with the kidnappers.
“But they are asking for money which we do not have, and I think it’s out of frustration they did that video,” the cleric stated.
At the time of filing this report, the police had yet to comment on the video.
