The Sisters of Jesus the Saviour has told reporters that the four nuns belonging to the order who were reported abducted have been released.
The kidnappers reportedly did not make any condition to release the abductees.
Details of the Sisters' Release, Abduction
According to a report by Matters India, sisters Liberata Mbamalu, Johannes Nwodo, Benita Agu, and Christabel Echemazu are now safe from harm following their release from captivity by Fulani herders.
The religious congregation to which the four abducted sisters belong made the announcement on Aug. 23.
Matters India disclosed that the four nuns were on the way to attend Mass on Aug. 21 when armed men suspected to be Fulani militia forcibly took them in Imo State, located in Nigeria's south.
For two days, members of the Sisters of Jesus the Saviour prayed together for the safety and immediate release of their kidnapped sisters in faith.
The congregation's 'intense prayers' were answered two days after the abduction.
"Today is a memorable day for us... We wish to share this joy with all men and women of Goodwill who in one way or the other have contributed to the quick and safe release of our dear sisters," Matters India quoted the congregation saying.
String of Violence Against Nigerian Christians
The abduction of the four Catholic nuns was just among the recent spate of violence and intimidation targeting Christians across Nigeria.
In practically every single one of these crimes, the perpetrators belong to the Fulani herders, who are hardcore Islamic believers.
Aside from nuns, Catholic priests also frequently fall victim to abductions, which prompted the Nigerian Diocesan Catholic Priests Association to issue a statement condemning the crimes.
On July 11, the priests' association decried the kidnap-for-ransom scheme by armed groups targeting the Nigerian Catholic clergy.
The Nigerian Diocesan Catholic Priests Association lamented how priests have become 'endangered species' while performing their ministerial duties.
Unlike the four nuns from the Sisters of Jesus the Saviour, one of the two recent victims of the targeted abductions was not as lucky.
A related report disclosed that armed men abducted Fr. John Mark Cheitnum and Fr. Denatus Cleopas from the King Catholic Church in Kaduna State.
The abductors reportedly killed Cheitnum brutally on July 19, while Cleopas escaped from their captors.
On May 25, 2022, Oliver Okpara and Stephen Ojapa, priests serving the St. Patrick Catholic Church in northern Nigeria, were kidnapped along with two unnamed juveniles.
Possible Reason for the Abductions
A security expert from Geneva, Switzerland, has offered his theory on why the Christian religious under the Catholic Church is being targeted for ransom.
David Otto, the director of the Geneva Center for Africa Security and Strategic Studies, surmised that Catholic priests are specifically eyed for abductions because the Church is willing to pay for them.
Otto disclosed that abductors charge as much as $200,000 for a priest they kidnapped, which the Catholic Church has been more than willing to pay.
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