They kill people here. Our abductors have threatened to kill us. Please send money to them to spare our lives
Two seminarians abducted from the Catholic Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary School in Ivianokpodi, Agenebode, Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, have appealed to their parents and well-wishers for urgent assistance to secure their release.
The tragic incident occurred on July 10th, when gunmen stormed the seminary, killing a Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) officer assigned to the school and abducting three seminarians. While one of the kidnapped students has since been released, the remaining two continue to be held by the assailants.
Following the abduction, the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, promptly ordered the deployment of tactical teams to apprehend the kidnappers and ensure the safe release of the seminarians. Despite these efforts, the teenagers remain in captivity.
A recent video, reportedly released by the kidnappers, shows the two seminarians pleading with their parents and the public to pay ransom for their freedom. In the footage, the boys are surrounded by masked gunmen armed with firearms and are seen holding dried human skulls. They can be heard saying, “They kill people here. Our abductors have threatened to kill us. Please send money to them to spare our lives.”
Confirming the authenticity of the video, the spokesperson for the Catholic Diocese of Auchi, Rev. Fr. Peter 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 is out of frustration that they made that video.”