Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Tension and an uneasy calm have gripped the Inoyi community in the Affa area of Udi Local Government Area in Enugu State following a daring Sunday morning invasion of St. Joseph Catholic Church by armed kidnappers. The attack, which saw worshippers abducted right from the sanctuary during the early morning Mass on August 2, 2026, has sparked widespread outrage and driven distraught local women into the streets to demand immediate government action.
The quiet, agrarian community was thrown into pandemonium when heavily armed men, believed to be at least seven in number and armed with sophisticated weapons, stormed the church at approximately 8:30 a.m. while parishioners gathered for Mass amid a heavy downpour. The assailants reportedly abducted a seminarian, the catechist, and another worshipper directly from the sanctuary, sending terrified worshippers fleeing for their lives. Eyewitnesses said the kidnappers initially took three victims but later released the catechist, fleeing into the bush with the seminarian and the remaining worshipper. Residents identified the abducted seminarian as Lawrence Chidera Igbo and the other worshipper as Emmanuel. One of the victims had reportedly returned home to bury his late father before he was abducted during the church attack.
Local youths immediately mobilised and launched a search operation in nearby bushes but were forced to exercise caution due to the alleged superior firepower of the kidnappers. One resident lamented in a video circulating online that the community was ready to defend itself and even go into the bush after the criminals, but lacked the arms to do so. Residents also decried the lack of weapons for the local vigilante group, saying they were unable to confront the heavily armed criminals. While residents were scrambling, a combined force of police operatives, Forest Guards, and members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group gave the fleeing assailants a hot chase, forcing them to abandon one captive while escaping into the forest with the remaining two.
The incident prompted an immediate response from local women who, defying heavy downpours, marched through the streets weeping and calling on state authorities to end the rising tide of insecurity in the axis. Clad in dark traditional attire, a crowd of mothers stood gathered under umbrellas amid a steady downpour. In a video seen by SaharaReporters, the leading spokesperson was seen wailing openly in the rain. Speaking on behalf of the protesting mothers, a spokesperson issued a frantic appeal to Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah, the Chairman of Udi Local Government Area, Hyginus Agu, and the Senator representing Enugu West, Osita Ngwu. She begged the chairman to come and help them, saying there was no other place they could run to, as their children had been kidnapped and they could no longer sleep at night because of kidnappers. Highlighting the agony of the affected families, she said that insecurity was killing them and that their children were no longer going out as they used to, noting that while on holiday, the kidnappers had come and taken their members inside the church. She urged the state leadership to act swiftly to ensure the safe return of their loved ones, stating that they were protesting under the rain and begging the government of Enugu State to help them because the victims were born by women. She also called on the Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly and members of the legislature to come to their aid.
In an official press statement released late Sunday, the Enugu State Police Command confirmed the abduction of three persons at the church precinct but disclosed that joint security operatives had already rescued one of the victims unhurt. According to the Police Public Relations Officer, a combined force of police operatives, Forest Guards, and members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group gave the fleeing assailants a hot chase, forcing them to abandon one captive while escaping into the forest with the remaining two. The Command added that technical and intelligence assets from the State Intelligence Department and the Enugu State Command-and-Control Centre had been fully activated to track down the kidnappers.
The Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, has directed the Area Commander in Oji-River and the Head of the Command's Violent Crime Response Unit to intensify ongoing operations and deploy all available operational assets to ensure the safe rescue of the remaining victims and the apprehension of the suspects. The CP also directed the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Intelligence Department to immediately generate actionable human and technical intelligence in support of the operation. In addition, the CP directed the SID to activate the surveillance and technical capabilities of the Enugu State Command-and-Control Centre to bolster the ongoing rescue efforts. The Commissioner urged residents of the community to remain calm and continue to support the police with credible and actionable information, assuring them that every available resource was being deployed to secure the safe rescue of the remaining victims and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Residents called on Governor Peter Mbah to assist the community in tackling frequent kidnap attacks in the area, saying they had able-bodied youths and even vigilante members, but they needed to be equipped to work. The attack has once again highlighted the growing insecurity in Nigeria's South-East region, where armed groups have increasingly targeted churches, schools, and communities for abduction and ransom, exploiting the region's dense forests and porous borders to evade security forces. For the women of Inoyi, who now say they "no longer sleep at night," the fear is palpable and the demand for action is urgent. As one grieving mother put it, their children are no longer going out as they used to. The fate of the seminarian and the other worshipper now rests in the hands of security forces, who have vowed to intensify the search until the victims are found and the perpetrators brought to justice.
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