By Tony Okafor, Awka
Anambra State has been thrown into another state of anxiety following the kidnapping of two Catholic Reverend Sisters, Vincentia Maria Nwankwo and Grace Mariette Okoli.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, along Ufuma road, as the sisters were returning from a vocational association meeting in Ogboji.
According to a statement signed by Sister Maria Sobenna Ikeotuonye, IHM Secretary General, on behalf of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother of Christ, the kidnapped sisters are Sr. Vincentia Maria Nwankwo, Principal of Archbishop Charles Heerey Memorial Model Secondary School Ufuma, and Sr. Grace Mariette Okoli, a teacher at Immaculata Girls Model Secondary School Nnewi.
The Catholic community has been thrown into a state of prayer, soliciting the intercession of the Blessed Mother Mary for the speedy release of the kidnapped sisters.
The statement urged all priests, religious, and lay faithful to offer fervent prayers and supplications to God for the unconditional release of the sisters.
Meanwhile, the Anambra State Police Command has launched a joint operation to rescue the kidnapped sisters.
In a statement signed by SP Tochukwu Ikenga, Police Public Relations Officer, the Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam, visited the scene for a spot assessment and assured that the command is working with some clues to arrest the suspects and rescue the victims.
Anambra State has become a hotbed of kidnapping and killing, prompting widespread calls from citizens for Governor Chukwuma Soludo to take decisive action.
This surge in violence has led to heightened concerns about the state’s security situation, which has been a point of contention between the governor and Ebube Muonso.
