Gunmen kidnap Archbishop Kattey, wife in Rivers

THE Archbishop of Niger Delta Province of
the Anglican Communion in Nigeria,
Archbishop Ignatius Kattey
THE Archbishop of Niger Delta Province of the
Anglican Communion in Nigeria, Archbishop
Ignatius Kattey, and his wife, Beatrice, were on
Friday night kidnapped by gunmen.
Kattey and his wife were abducted at Aleto in
Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State
on his way to Port Harcourt at about 10.30pm.
It was learnt that the cleric, who is the Dean,
Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion;
second in hierarchy to the Primate of the
Anglican Church Nigeria, was going to Port
Harcourt to receive a dignitary when the
gunmen struck.
While the archbishop’s wife was later
abandoned, the clergyman was taken away to
an unknown destination.
An eyewitness account said the bandits took
the cleric into the bush around Eleme area.
“The Archbishop of Niger Delta Province of the
Anglican Communion and second in hierarchy
to the Primate of the Church of Nigeria,
Anglican Communion, Archbishop Ignatius
Kattey, and his wife, Mrs. Beatrice, were
abducted at about 10:30pm on Friday.
“The wife was later abandoned with their car.
They were abducted on their way to Port
Harcourt by Aleto bridge,” a close source to
the cleric said.
When contacted, the State Police Public
Relations Officer, Mrs. Angela Agabe,
confirmed that the incident took place at
about 10.30pm in Aleto, Eleme.
Agabe explained that the hot chase from the
police forced the hoodlums to abandon the
cleric’s wife and his car.
“It is true that the archbishop and his wife
were kidnapped on Friday around 10:30pm.
But the hot chase from the police forced them
(kidnappers) to abandon his wife and his car.
“The police are combing the bushes in the area
now in search of the Archbishop. We are also
working toward arresting those responsible for
the act,” Agabe said.
The state police spokesperson assured that the
cleric would soon be rescued based on the
measures put in place by security agents in the
state.