A Catholic priest has been shot by gunmen and his vehicle snatched from him in Enugu State, Nigeria’s South-east.
The attack highlights the growing insecurity in the state and the South-east region.
The Catholic Diocese of Enugu, which confirmed the incident, told PREMIUM TIMES that the priest identified as Bartholomew Chime was attacked in the evening on February 25 along Ninth Mile area, Enugu, while he was doing his pastoral work.
Benjamin Achi, the director of communications in the diocese, said, Monday afternoon, the priest had been rescued and was receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital in the state.
Mr Achi, a Catholic priest, said Mr Chime, who was ordained a priest in December, was “badly shot on his leg” by the gunmen.
“He was travelling. Armed men accosted him and then stopped him and were demanding money from him. So, he told them he doesn’t have money. They collected the things he had and eventually shot him on the leg and put him in the trunk of the car and drove off,” Mr Achi said.
The spokesperson said the gunmen stopped at a tollgate around the Enugu-Onitsha Road, pulled the priest out of the car boot and dumped him in a nearby bush, before they fled with his car.
“But he managed to come out and drag himself out of the road and started seeking help. That’s how he was rescued.”
Mr Achi said the cleric’s vehicle was yet to be recovered. He did not, however, say what model it is.
The police spokesperson in the state, Daniel Ndukwe, did not respond to calls and text messages seeking comment from him on the issue.
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