Gunmen kidnap Archbishop Kattey, wife in Rivers

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.