The ARCH BISHOP, Niger Delta North Diocese of the
Anglican Communion, Most Reverend Ignatius
Kattey, never saw it coming. In his wildest imagination, he never thought he
could be a target of kidnappers. After all, he is a
man of God. His understanding perhaps before
his abduction was that kidnappers and hoodlums
would not want to have anything to do with a
minister of the Lord so as not to incur the wrath of the Almighty. His perception changed, penultimate Friday,
minutes after he drove out of his Eleme, Port-
Harcourt, Rivers State residence in company of his
darling wife, Mrs Beatrice Kattey. Sources close to
the arch bishop, who is also the Dean of the
Anglican Communion in the country( next to the Primate), said he was expecting the Primate of the
Church, Nicolas Oko, who was to fly into Port
Harcourt the following morning, Saturday, on an
Episcopal assignment. That Saturday was to be
the state’s environmental sanitation exercise, and
consequently restriction of movent between 7 to 10 a.m..
*Most Reverend Ignatius Kattey and wife, Beatrice
Apparently to be at the airport before the
restriction of movement, Kattey left his home,
about thirty minutes drive to the heart of Port
Harcourt that Friday at about 10.30pm , with his
wife. They had thought of spending the night in
Port Harcourt so they could be at the airport very early to receive Primate Oko. But about 15 minutes into the trip, unknown
gun men overtook their vehicle around Aleto
Eleme, ordering them to a halt. It only dawned
on the arch bishop and his wife that they were
face to face with kidnappers when the men
started dishing out orders. “Eh, Reverend! Don’t panic, we are business men. We kidnap for
ransom,” one of them may have told the bishop
and his wife who must have been pleading the
blood of Jesus for their rescue. One of the gunmen reportedly took over the
driver’s seat of the vehicle. It was not clear what
happened but as they drove on with their victims,
it reportedly struck them to free the wife of
Kattey, some distance away. At the time of this piece, the kidnappers were yet
to establish contact with the family for ransom.
Meanwhile, condemnations have continued to
trail the abduction. On its part, the Anglican
Communion said it would not pay ransom for the
release of the archbishop. While condemning the kidnapping in Port Harcourt, the Councils of Clergy
and the Knights of Niger Delta North Diocese said
payment of ransom would amount to
encouraging the act of kidnapping which they
described as a sin. They called for Kattey’s immediate and
unconditional release. Venerable Richard Opara
and Sir Charles Ogundu-Chukwu appealed to
President Goodlluck Jonathan, the Inspector
General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, and
Governor Chibuike Amaechi to step up effort at securing life and property in Rivers State adding
that they should secure the release of the arch
bishop “The news came to us as a shock and, as we
speak, the bishop is still in the hands of the
captors. We wonder the offence of the God’s
servant and why Kattey would be abducted”, they
said. ”We condemn it and we therefore ask for the
unconditional release of the bishop. We call on
the IGP, the governor of Rivers State and the
President to expedite action on his unconditional
release.” The clergymen and knights were all decked in
black, symbolizing that the Church was lamenting
the abduction. Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP
Angela Agabe, said the police were making efforts
to secure the archbishop’s release. There have been prayers in all dioceses of the
Anglican Communion across the country for
Katty’s freedom. The state government also called for the release
of the hostage. Amaechi blamed the abduction
on what he termed the deplorable security
situation in the state which he traced to what he
described as the failure of Rivers Police
Commissioner, Mr. Joseph Mbu, to live up his responsibility of securing the state. Arch bishop Kattey is not the first high profile
cleric to be taken hostage in the state. Rev. Father
Pius Kii of the Catholic Church was kidnapped on
January 25, 2009 after delivering the homily at
Christ the King Catholic Church, CKC, Mile One,
Diobu, Port Harcourt.
Anglican Communion, Most Reverend Ignatius
Kattey, never saw it coming. In his wildest imagination, he never thought he
could be a target of kidnappers. After all, he is a
man of God. His understanding perhaps before
his abduction was that kidnappers and hoodlums
would not want to have anything to do with a
minister of the Lord so as not to incur the wrath of the Almighty. His perception changed, penultimate Friday,
minutes after he drove out of his Eleme, Port-
Harcourt, Rivers State residence in company of his
darling wife, Mrs Beatrice Kattey. Sources close to
the arch bishop, who is also the Dean of the
Anglican Communion in the country( next to the Primate), said he was expecting the Primate of the
Church, Nicolas Oko, who was to fly into Port
Harcourt the following morning, Saturday, on an
Episcopal assignment. That Saturday was to be
the state’s environmental sanitation exercise, and
consequently restriction of movent between 7 to 10 a.m..
*Most Reverend Ignatius Kattey and wife, Beatrice
Apparently to be at the airport before the
restriction of movement, Kattey left his home,
about thirty minutes drive to the heart of Port
Harcourt that Friday at about 10.30pm , with his
wife. They had thought of spending the night in
Port Harcourt so they could be at the airport very early to receive Primate Oko. But about 15 minutes into the trip, unknown
gun men overtook their vehicle around Aleto
Eleme, ordering them to a halt. It only dawned
on the arch bishop and his wife that they were
face to face with kidnappers when the men
started dishing out orders. “Eh, Reverend! Don’t panic, we are business men. We kidnap for
ransom,” one of them may have told the bishop
and his wife who must have been pleading the
blood of Jesus for their rescue. One of the gunmen reportedly took over the
driver’s seat of the vehicle. It was not clear what
happened but as they drove on with their victims,
it reportedly struck them to free the wife of
Kattey, some distance away. At the time of this piece, the kidnappers were yet
to establish contact with the family for ransom.
Meanwhile, condemnations have continued to
trail the abduction. On its part, the Anglican
Communion said it would not pay ransom for the
release of the archbishop. While condemning the kidnapping in Port Harcourt, the Councils of Clergy
and the Knights of Niger Delta North Diocese said
payment of ransom would amount to
encouraging the act of kidnapping which they
described as a sin. They called for Kattey’s immediate and
unconditional release. Venerable Richard Opara
and Sir Charles Ogundu-Chukwu appealed to
President Goodlluck Jonathan, the Inspector
General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, and
Governor Chibuike Amaechi to step up effort at securing life and property in Rivers State adding
that they should secure the release of the arch
bishop “The news came to us as a shock and, as we
speak, the bishop is still in the hands of the
captors. We wonder the offence of the God’s
servant and why Kattey would be abducted”, they
said. ”We condemn it and we therefore ask for the
unconditional release of the bishop. We call on
the IGP, the governor of Rivers State and the
President to expedite action on his unconditional
release.” The clergymen and knights were all decked in
black, symbolizing that the Church was lamenting
the abduction. Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP
Angela Agabe, said the police were making efforts
to secure the archbishop’s release. There have been prayers in all dioceses of the
Anglican Communion across the country for
Katty’s freedom. The state government also called for the release
of the hostage. Amaechi blamed the abduction
on what he termed the deplorable security
situation in the state which he traced to what he
described as the failure of Rivers Police
Commissioner, Mr. Joseph Mbu, to live up his responsibility of securing the state. Arch bishop Kattey is not the first high profile
cleric to be taken hostage in the state. Rev. Father
Pius Kii of the Catholic Church was kidnapped on
January 25, 2009 after delivering the homily at
Christ the King Catholic Church, CKC, Mile One,
Diobu, Port Harcourt.
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