•Bishop Gabriel Dunia and Tinubu
The Catholic Bishop of Auchi Diocese, Gabriel Dunia, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu, Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, and security agencies to urgently rescue two abducted seminarians whose ordeal in the den of their captors was recently captured in a viral video.
In a statement signed by the Diocese’s Director of Communications, Revd Peter Egielewa, yesterday, Bishop Dunia said he was deeply hurt that his seminarians had been with armed strangers for 35 days and urged people to pray for their release.
The bishop urged the president, the governor and all security agencies in the country to “do the needful and help rescue our children from the hands of the kidnappers”, reports Channels TV.
The viral video showed two young children clutching what appears to be a human skull, crying, and pleading for their release while surrounded by gun-wielding men.
The church confirmed in its statement that the children in the footage are two of the three seminarians kidnapped when gunmen attacked the Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary in Ivhianokpodi-Agenebode, in the Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, on July 10, 2025.
“As the chief shepherd of the Diocese, I feel personally hurt and disturbed that my seminarians, our children, are living with armed strangers for 35 days now. I find it difficult to sleep these days because of this. We have been praying since their kidnap, and again I call on people everywhere to please pray with us,” Dania said.
The church said one of the boys, who sustained injuries, was released on July 18, 2025, leaving the remaining two in captivity.
Since the incident, the Diocese said it has maintained contact with the kidnappers in efforts to secure the boys’ release. However, Bishop Dunia lamented that insecurity in the Edo North zone and state is worsening.
“It appears kidnappers in Nigeria have suddenly found a convenient place of operation in Edo North and Edo State. Our people feel frustrated and helpless.
“We are deeply worried about how this abnormality has become normal, and it appears our people are just left on their own to continue living in an environment of perpetual fear and terror. It shouldn’t be. We beg that Edo North be secured so that our people can once again live in peace and safety,” he said.
