Two teenage seminarians kidnapped in southern Nigeria in July have been released after a third died while being held hostage. Source: The Tablet.
The Diocese of Auchi in Edo State announced the release of two of the students – Japhet Jesse and Joshua Aleobua – abducted from its minor seminary, but said the third, Emmanuel Alabi, died “in the course of the ordeal”.
Bishop Gabriel Dunia of Auchi “expressed his deep pain and sorrow over the loss of the young seminarian and has called on security agencies to intensify efforts toward protecting the lives and property of all citizens”, said a statement from the diocesan spokesman Fr Linus Imoedemhe on November 4.
“The Diocese of Auchi remains committed to the values of faith, peace, and justice, trusting in God’s infinite mercy to bring comfort to the bereaved family, the seminary community, and all those affected by this tragedy.”
Gunmen attacked the Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary on July 10, killing a security guard, Christopher Aweneghieme, and kidnapping the three students who were between the ages of 14 and 17.
It was the second attack on the seminary in less than a year, following the kidnapping of its rector, Fr Thomas Oyode, in October 2024. Fr Oyode offered himself as a hostage to bandits who broke into the site to seize his students. He was released a week later.
Jesse and Aleobua appeared in a video posted on social media in August, in which they pleaded for their lives while holding a human skull.
Fr Peter Egielewa, the diocesan director of communications, confirmed the video’s authenticity and said it “brought pain and distress” to the seminarians’ families and to the Church and expressed Bishop Dunia’s “frustration with the efforts being made to rescue his children”.
In the statement announcing Alabi’s death, Fr Imoedemhe said Bishop Dunia “cautioned political leaders against turning a blind eye on the worsening insecurity situation in the nation, urging them instead to prioritise the safety and well-being of the people over political ambitions ahead of the 2027 elections”.
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Nigerian diocese mourns kidnapped seminarian while two others freed (The Tablet)
