Agenebode, Edo – The Catholic Diocese of Auchi has announced a mix of relief and profound grief in the long-running saga of the July kidnapping of three minor seminarians from the Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary in Ivianokpodi, Agenebode.

While one youth has been released after nearly four months in captivity, another has tragically perished, and the fate of the third remains shrouded in uncertainty amid Nigeria's escalating insecurity crisis.

In a statement issued Tuesday by Rev. Fr. Linus Imoedemhe, Assistant Director of Communications for the Diocese, the Church confirmed that 17-year-old Joshua Aleobu (also reported as Joshun Aleobu) regained his freedom on November 4, 2025.

However, the announcement was tempered by the heartbreaking news of Emmanuel Alabi's death "in the course of the ordeal," with details on the circumstances withheld out of respect for the family.

The status of the third seminarian, Japhet Jesse, was described as "unclear," leaving the Diocese and community in anxious prayer.

"This development brings a measure of joy with Joshua's release, but our hearts are heavy with sorrow for Emmanuel and uncertainty for Japhet," Fr. Imoedemhe wrote, adding, "We extend our deepest condolences to Emmanuel's family and the entire seminary community."

The ordeal traces back to the night of July 10, 2025, when armed gunmen stormed the seminary around 9 p.m., shortly after evening prayers. The assailants suspected to be bandits operating from nearby forests killed an NSCDC security officer on duty, injured a local vigilante, and abducted the three teenagers: Aleobu, Alabi, and Jesse, all aged 14 to 17.

This marked the second major attack on the institution within 10 months; in October 2024, the seminary rector, Fr. Thomas Oyode, had been kidnapped during a similar raid.

Kidnappers quickly contacted the Diocese demanding ransom, releasing a chilling video in mid-August showing the boys, visibly terrified and surrounded by masked gunmen holding what appeared to be human skulls.

"They kill people here. Our abductors have threatened to kill us. Please send money," the seminarians pleaded in the footage, which sparked national outrage and appeals from Bishop Gabriel G. Dunia to President Bola Tinubu, Edo Governor Monday Okpebholo, and security agencies for urgent intervention.

Despite these pleas, progress was slow, with the boys enduring over 100 days in captivity.

The attack, condemned by Vatican News and global Catholic outlets as a "barbaric assault on public peace," highlighted the vulnerability of religious institutions in Nigeria's restive Middle Belt and southern regions.

Police described it as a "senseless act of violence against innocent young students," while Bishop Dunia initiated diocesan-wide prayers and fasting.

In the wake of the update, Bishop Dunia issued a stern rebuke to political leaders, urging them to "prioritize citizens’ safety and well-being over political ambitions, especially with the 2027 elections approaching." He accused authorities of "turning a blind eye to worsening insecurity," echoing broader frustrations over banditry, kidnappings, and targeted attacks on Christians that have surged in 2025.

The Diocese called on the faithful and "people of goodwill" to join in fervent prayer: for the repose of Alabi’s soul, peace across the land, healing for the affected, and security for all Nigerians.

"We remain committed to faith, peace, and justice, trusting in God’s mercy to comfort the bereaved family, the seminary community, and all those touched by this tragedy," the statement concluded, invoking eternal rest for "the souls of the faithful departed."