Six Catholic priests in Delta State escaped death by the whiskers during arms-struggle between seven arrested kidnap suspects and the police squad at Ekuku- Agbor/Ute-Erumu/Ute- Ukpo in Ika North-East Local Government Area of the state.
The suspects were being conveyed from Jesse town in Ethiope West Local Government Area of the state to the command headquarters in Asaba, the state capital, when trouble began. It could not be ascertained whether the suspects were handcuffed while they were being conveyed or whether riffles were carted away. However, three of the suspects escaped.
The priests from the Catholic Diocese of Issele-Uku, under Bishop Michael Elue, were returning to Asaba and other parts of Delta North Senatorial District of the state in their personal vehicles through Ekuku-Agbor/ Ute-Erumu/Ute-Ukpo route after attending the 15th priestly ordination anniversary celebration of their colleague, Rev Fr John Konyeke at St Felix Catholic Church, Ejeme- Aniogor in Aniocha South Local Government Area of the state when they ran into the conflict.
It was learnt that the seven suspects were being conveyed in a patrol van from Jesse to the police headquarters in Asaba by a team of four policemen when suddenly the suspects rose against them.
An eyewitness, who simply identified himself as Tony, said when they reached the bush between Ekuku-Agbor and Ute-Erum, the suspects engaged the policemen in arms struggle: “They started struggling a rifle with the policemen and during the scuffle, the police driver and four out of the seven kidnappers were hit by bullets and died.”
He said the remaining three suspects jumped down from the van and fled into the bush.
One of the clerics (names withheld) said he and his colleagues, “immediately stopped our cars and ran into the nearby bush to take refuge.”
A top police officer in Agbor Divisional Headquarters yesterday said detectives have launched a manhunt for them.
