Atiku’s Aide, Aliyu Ibn Abbas, Confirms Assassination Attempt…. Catholic Priest Kidnapped in Imo

Amb. Ibn Abbas, has confirmed to Newsreel in telephone interview that he narrowly escaped death following an attack on his convoy by gunmen on his way to Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital, yesterday.

Amb. Ibn Abbas is an aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Director General, Atiku Care Foundation, a non governmental organization that takes care of less previleged in Africa.

He said he was travelling in company of some foundation members.

The incident was earlier made known by the director of media and publicity, Atiku Care Foundation, Okpani Jacob Onjewu Dickson but he didn’t provide much details.

Abbas is the special assistant to Atiku on youth and support groups.

In another development, suspected gunmen on Sunday kidnapped a Catholic priest, Rev. Prof. Izu Marcell Onyeocha in Imo State.

It was gathered that the cleric was kidnapped in Okigwe Local Government Area of Imo State along Enugu -Port Harcourt Express Road.

Onyeocha who is also a lecturer in the Faculty of Humanities at the Imo State University, is a native of Avuru Community in Ikeduru Local Government Area.

The Catholic priest was travelling back to Owerri from Enugu when he was abducted.

An eyewitness disclosed that Onyeocha was driving when the gunmen forced him to stop by shooting sporadically into the air.

However, it was not clear if the priest was alone in the car, but an eyewitness said that the villagers heard some sporadic shooting and later confirmed the identity of the victim with his cassock and identity card.

VTMONEY

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