Gunmen invade church, abduct 3 in Owerri

OWERRI—Armed men yesterday stormed Maria Assumpta Catholic Cathedral, Owerri, shooting sporadically and menacingly before kidnapping three unfortunate citizens.

The firing caused palpable confusion within and outside the church premises, as people made spirited effort to scamper into wherever they regarded as safe havens.

Vanguard gathered that all the drivers plying the ever busy Owerri-Port Harcourt and Owerri-Onitsha federal highways abandoned their vehicles on the roads and ran for cover.

Narrating what happened to Vanguard, an eye witness, who gave his name as Azubuike, said the hoodlums operated in three vehicles, including a Ford Focus, Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux.

“There was the usual Sunday morning gridlock at Maria Assumpta Roundabout because of the worshippers going into or out of the Cathedral compound.

“When the firing died down, about three persons, including a knight of the church and a woman, were feared kidnapped,” Azubuike said.

Azubuike said the hoodlums first attacked a Hummer Jeep but the driver drove away, even with his flat tyre, adding that when they lost their target, they quickly kidnapped a woman that was buying a newspaper at the news stand.

It was feared that some people at the vicinity were hit by stray bullets, while armed members of the anti-terrorist squad of Imo State Police Command took over the area.

Efforts made to get the police angle before going to press failed as the mobile line of the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Linus Nwaiwu, was switched off, while the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Aloysius Okorie, neither picked his call nor replied the text sent to him on the matter.

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Posted: at 4-10-2010 10:04 PM (14 years ago) | Addicted Hero

na wa oh

Posted: at 5-10-2010 01:08 AM (14 years ago) | Gistmaniac

which kind of thing be dis for goodness sake. may God come to their rescue

Posted: at 5-10-2010 02:19 AM (14 years ago) | Upcoming

if them kill whom ?

Posted: at 6-10-2010 05:36 AM (14 years ago) | Grande Master

hmmmmmm

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Posted: at 6-10-2010 11:11 AM (14 years ago) | Hero

Hmmm, is the Aba wahala spreading to Owerri?.......Ohakim wey you?..........abeg no let dat kain thing happen abeg

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Posted: at 6-10-2010 04:13 PM (14 years ago) | Hero

i hope you are no where close to owerri any way , they don borrow hands from Aba peoples so ooo

Posted: at 6-10-2010 04:23 PM (14 years ago) | Grande Master

If they are raising money for Politicians then their own will enter there for their shares too. Lie with dogs you raise with fleas!

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Posted: at 6-10-2010 10:47 PM (14 years ago) | Gistmaniac

dat story na lie abeg

Posted: at 7-10-2010 09:54 AM (14 years ago) | Upcoming

haaah, GOD forbid that ooo, i will be there personally the moment, its so long now i have been to those area , things are changing gradully but bad pickins are out numbering the good ones now , and that looks like a major problems really

Posted: at 7-10-2010 12:30 PM (14 years ago) | Grande Master