By Sam Kayode
Suspected bandits have attacked a Benedictine Monastery in Ilorin, North-central Nigeria abducting three people from facility run by the Catholic Church.
The attack occurred at about 1:00 am on Tuesday morning, according Rev Father Chris Atoyibi in the Diocese of Ilorin, where the monastery is located.
“I received a shocking text message from one of our brother monks from Benedictine Monastery in Eruku, that the Fulani bandits came to the monastery at about one O’Clock this morning and kidnapped three of their brothers.
“I have been in touch with them moments ago to find out what happened. The security agencies are being notified about this unfortunate incident.” said Father Anselm Lawani, Diocesan administrator, in a message to Catholics nationwide on Oct. 17.
According to Lawani, novice Brother Godwin Eze was kidnapped during the Fulani attack, along with two postulants: Anthony Eze and Peter Olarewaju.
As a result of the abduction, the church has called for special prayers for their protection and quick release from the hands of the bandits
kidnapping of clerics is on the increase in Nigeria as 30 priests were kidnapped in 2022 alone, while at least 40 were killed in the same year.
Help for post trauma victims
As a result, Rev Father Stephen Ojapah, a Nigerian priest who was held captive for 33 days in 2022, has launched an organization to help Nigerians receive mental health care to cope with the trauma of terrorism in the country.
Ojapah noted that his own month-long experience of being kidnapped has left him and others with deep trauma which informs the organization.
He pointed to the experience of post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD, which can affect kidnapping victims.
A year after gaining his freedom, the 39-year-old priest is now working to build O-Trauma Victims Initiative (OTVI), a project he explained is “for Nigerians …to help us deal with the trauma that comes with banditry and other forms of violence.”
To respond to these needs, OTVI offers medical care, trauma counselling, and legal aid to victims of kidnapping in Nigeria. It also provides vocational training and economic programs to help kidnapping victims recover financially.
The Ilorin diocese told The Pillar Tuesday, an online newspaper, that it will provide updates on the situation of the men abducted from Eruku Monastery.
