Two people remain in captivity after armed men attacked St. Joseph Catholic Church in Inoyi, Affa Community, Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State on Sunday, prompting an intensified rescue operation by security agencies.
The Enugu State Police Command said a joint security team comprising police operatives, forest guards and members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group has stepped up efforts to rescue the victims and arrest those responsible for the attack.
In a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, said operatives pursuing the fleeing suspects forced them to abandon one of the victims, who was rescued unharmed. The assailants, however, escaped with the remaining two victims.
According to the police, Commissioner of Police Mamman Giwa has directed the Area Commander in Oji River and the head of the command's Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) to intensify ongoing operations and deploy all available resources to secure the victims' release and apprehend the suspects.
The commissioner also instructed the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Intelligence Department (SID) to generate actionable human and technical intelligence to support the rescue effort. The command added that it has activated the surveillance and technical capabilities of its command-and-control centre to strengthen the operation.
The police urged residents to remain calm and provide credible information that could assist investigators and rescue teams.
Witnesses said the gunmen stormed St. Joseph Catholic Church in Inoyi, Affa, at about 8:30 a.m. while worship was in progress. They alleged that the attackers initially abducted a seminarian, the church catechist and two other worshippers.
According to the witnesses, police and other security personnel responded shortly after receiving reports of the incident.
Security agencies have continued search operations as efforts to secure the release of the remaining victims continue.
