24th August, 2022
Yet to be identified gunmen took advantage of a gridlock along Owerri-Okigwe Road in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State to kidnap two Catholic priests while their driver, Valentine Enwerem, was killed last Friday evening.
According to Uche Ejimonye, who is an in-law to Enwerem, the slain driver, the incident happened at Nkwo Orji market junction section of the road.
He said the gunmen had trailed the vehicle carrying the Catholic priests from Amaraku, in the Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of the state, to Orji where they ran into a gridlock.
Ejimonye said gunmen took advantage of the gridlock to abduct the two catholic priests, while their driver was shot dead.
His statement as published by The Punch read in part, “I wish to announce the demise and sudden death of my father-in-law, Mr Valentine Enwere, known as Oga Val, as popularly known at the Orji mechanic village.
“He was shot dead by kidnappers at Orji after fleeing from them from Amaraku to Owerri and surviving the series of gunshots at his vehicle.
“He was caught up in the gridlock at Orji but on attempting to escape after coming down from his vehicle, he was shot five times at his back.
“The kidnappers then abducted the two Rev. Fathers that were with him in the car and zoomed off. Attempts by passersby to rescue him by taking him to the hospital proved abortive as he died on the way.”