AFRICA/NIGERIA - Seminarian and lay faithful kidnapped in attack on St. Joseph’s Church released

Tuesday, 11 August 2026

NIGERIA

2026-08-11
Seminarian and lay faithful kidnapped in attack on St. Joseph’s Church released

2026-08-07
Missionary Childhood: Sister Inês Paulo Albino to diocesan directors: mission is born from an encounter with Christ and expressed through service

2026-08-06
Presidency seeks to ease tensions with the Catholic Church following Cardinal Onaiyekan’s statements

2026-08-05
Missionary Childhood marks 25th anniversary, a seed of hope for the people and the ecclesial community

2026-08-04
Deep sorrow over the killing of Father Oyetoro; relief over the release of the seminarian kidnapped in Otukpo

2026-08-03
Church attacked during Sunday Mass, two people still held by kidnappers

Abuja (Fides News Agency) – The last two hostages abducted on Sunday, August 2, during the attack on St. Joseph’s Church in Inoyi-Affa, Udi District, Enugu State, southeastern Nigeria, have been released (see Fides, 3/8/2026).
They are seminarian Lawrence Igbo and lay faithful Emmanuel Onwudi, who were freed during an operation carried out by security forces. The operation led to the arrest of three suspected bandits, while a fourth kidnapper was killed in a gunfight with police.
The operation, conducted by the Department of State Services (DSS), the Army, Police, the Enugu State Forest Guard and other security forces, also resulted in the recovery of the ransom money demanded for the release of the two hostages. Four AK-47 rifles, seven magazines and 133 rounds of ammunition were also recovered during the operation.
The officer in charge of the investigation said security personnel had tracked down the criminals through the use of advanced security technologies deployed for the operation.
(L.M.) (Fides News Agency, 11/8/2026)