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.
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