Anglican bishop abducted in Nigeria

January 26, 2010 An Anglican bishop in Nigeria was abducted by armed men earlier today, according to officials.

The incident occurred in Benin City, located in Edo state, where Reverend Peter Imasue was reportedly ambushed on his way home from a church. Official reports say that kidnappers trailed Imasue from Matthew Cathedral to his home, then forced their way into the premises of the residence, and locked the gateman in his security outpost. Imasue was then dragged into a vehicle. It was not immediately known where he was taken.

Samuel Salifu, the secretary general for the Christian Association of Nigeria, commented to the Agence France-Presse news agency that "we were told he was kidnapped yesterday. We are trying to establish what exactly happened but we understand the kidnappers are asking for 15 million naira [about US$100,000]."

The abduction comes amidst recent tensions between Muslims and Christians in the country, which saw fierce clashes a week ago and five hundred people dead, mainly in the city of Jos.