A Catholic Priest Father Thomas Oyode has sacrificed himself in place of two kidnapped students of the Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary in Ivhianokpodi, Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State
According to Vatican News reports the kidnappers shot their way into the seminary chapel on Sunday at about 7.00pm while the students were observing their evening prayers and Benediction.
The gunmen took two of the students and Father Oyode who is the Rector of the Seminary boldly confronted them and he pleaded with gunmen to let the students go as he offered himself instead. They agreed and he was dragged into the forest.
Diocese of Auchi Director of Communications, Fr. Peter Egielewa, confirmed the incident in a statement:
“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,”
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.
