Body of abducted Catholic priest in Nigeria found after 2 months

The decomposing body of a Catholic priest in Nigeria was found Wednesday, June 22, two months after his abduction.

According to Morning Star News, an unnamed church leader at the Catholic Diocese of Otukpo confirmed that the body of the vicar-general of the Otukpo Diocese, Rev. John Adeyi, was found in a decaying condition after it was dumped by his unknown abductors in the bushes behind a local government building in Otukpo, Benue state.

Unknown men kidnapped the priest on April 24 along the Otukpa-Okwungaga road while Adeyi traveled on pastoral duty. The kidnappers demanded 25 million naira (US$121,224) but refused to let Adeyi go after the family paid them 2 million naira (US$9,700), according to Daily Post.

Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom released an official statement saying that Adeyi was a "peace-loving man of God" and vowed that his administration will bring to justice the late priest's killers "no matter how long it takes."

"There is no security in Idomaland, other­wise, the kidnappers of the late Rev. Fr. John Adeyi would have been exposed," said a statement by an Idoma socio-cultural group, Opiatoha K'Idoma, and signed by Secretary-Gener­al, Chief Adoka Adaji, as quoted by Nigerian Newspapers Today.

"The Idoma people are no longer their brothers' keepers," said the statement.

Cletus Emoche Agada, who writes for Daily Globe Watch, speculated in early May on what he referred to as the conspiracy of silence enveloping Adeyi's abduction.

Agada said that Prince Yemi Itodo, publisher and editor-in-chief of Daybreak Newspapers, first reported the news about Adeyi through Itodo's Facebook account but noted that the publisher discontinued the update to oblige requests from people Itodo would rather not name.

Agada denounced the publisher's action as "an act of cowardice that has rubbed off on all of us" and speculated that "somebody must be Responsible, some other unit be Accountable." He also criticized the Security Personnel and Key Stakeholders in the Security Architecture of both the State and Federal Governments for their apparent failure on Adeyi's case "either by commission or omission; by collusion or abnegation or dereliction of said duties."

He referred to Adeyi as an "avant-garde trailblazer" who became the first "to venture into Catholic Priesthood from Otukpa."