Lagos Speaker condemns archbishop, wife’s kidnap

Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji
| credits: File copy

The Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, has condemned the kidnapping of the Archbishop of the Niger Delta Province of the Anglican Communion of Nigeria, Ignatius Kattey, and his wife, Beatrice.

The cleric and his wife were abducted in Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State capital on Friday night.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Adebayo, the Speaker said the development was sad and sacrilegious.

He said, “The sad news of the kidnapping of the Archbishop of the Niger Delta Province of the Anglican Communion of Nigeria, Archbishop Ignatius Kattey and his wife in Port-Harcourt is very sad and an unfortunate incident in our country at this period.

“The kidnapping of anybody at all is something that ought not to occur in any civilised society, not to even talk of kidnapping a man of God.

“The kidnapping is indeed a sacrilegious act that should be condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians.”

Ikuforiji observed that the incident had, once again, underscored the need for state police, stating that a centrally-controlled policing system could not guarantee security in the country.

He said, “This unfortunate incident again goes to underscore the reason why we at the Lagos State House of Assembly have always strongly added our voice to those who have been calling for state police in our polity since it has become obvious that the Federal Government alone cannot guarantee the security and safety of all Nigerians with a centrally-controlled policing system anymore.”

The Speaker appealed to the cleric’s abductors to show human kindness on the man of God by “releasing him without any further delay.”

He added, “The fact is that such an evil act like this can only keep tarnishing the image of our great country, while also driving would-be investors away from Nigeria. And the implication of that is increased poverty and backwardness in the land.”