Gunmen have abducted two Catholic nuns in Anambra State, South-east Nigeria.
The incident happened on Tuesday evening along Ufuma Road in Orumba North Local Government Area of the state.
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The police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
Mr Ikenga, a superintendent of police, said the nuns were abducted while returning from a vocational service meeting in Ogboji Area of the state.
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“Police-led Joint Operation is already ongoing for the possible rescue of (the) two Catholic nuns,” he said.
The Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Nnaghe Obono, visited the scene of the incident alongside the state deputy commissioner of police in charge of operations, Mr Ikenga said.
Mr Obono said the State Police Command was already working with some “clues” to track down the abductors and rescue the victims.
Abduction for ransom
Like other states in the South-east, cases of abduction-for-ransom in Anambra State have increased in recent times.
Civil servants, business owners, politicians and even students have become targets of such attacks in the state lately.
The latest incident occurred two weeks after gunmen abducted a member of the State House of Assembly, Justice Azuka, on Christmas Eve.
Mr Azuka, who represents Onitsha North Constituency I, is yet to be released as of the time of this report.
Earlier in December, a retired Anglican Bishop of Nnewi, Godwin Okpala, was declared missing alongside his driver.
Mr Okpala, a professor and his driver were said to have been abducted by unknown assailants.
They were only released from captivity after nearly one month.
Meanwhile, no group has claimed responsibility for the latest abduction of the two Catholic nuns, although, a separatist group, IPOB, has been blamed for the frequent attacks in the region.
IPOB is seeking the secession of south-east and some parts of south-south from Nigeria.
