Rev. Fr. Brena was seized around 5:45 pm on July 3, by hoodlums along Ogunwenyi Road through Usen community in Ovia Southwest Local Government Area of Edo State.
Deputy police spokesperson Jennifer Iwegbu said: “In our continous efforts to curb crime and criminality in Edo State, most especially kidnapping, the Commissioner of Police, Abutu Yaro, has massively deployed operatives to most of the identified volatile areas in the state, and the move has started yielding positive results.
“On reciept of the information, the police operatives immediately swung into action and trailed the suspected kidnappers to their camp.
“The suspects, on sighting the operatives, opened fire on them, but the superior firepower of the police operatives neutralised three of the kidnappers, while the rest escaped into the forest.
“The victim was immediately rushed to Igbinedion University Teaching Hospital, Okada for medical attention. Intensive bush combing is ongoing, with the aim of arresting the suspected kidnappers, now on the run.”
Iwegbu quoted Edo commissioner of police as admonishing the people of the state not to relent in partnering with the command by availing giving it useful information that would lead to the arrest of criminals in the state.
Also, a 68-year-old suspected cultist, Okoh Peter, and five others have been arrested by police in the state.
Some arms and ammunition were allegedly recovered from them.
The suspected cultists were apprehended in the Ekiafolor and Ekowe areas of the state, police said.
Deputy spokesperson Jennifer Iwegbu said: “The suspects, on sighting the police operatives, took to their heels, from the scene of their unlawful assembly. The action attracted the attention of the operatives and they gave them a hot chase, which led to the arrest of these suspects.
One of the suspects, Okoh Peter, is 68 years old.
“On-the-spot search of the scene led to the recovery of these items: two locally-made single-barrel guns, one locally cut-to-size single-barrel gun, 30 live cartridges, one first-aid box, kola nuts, eggs, cowries, one dead chicken, seven mobile telephone sets and cash of N37,000.”
The deputy PRO also quoted Edo commissioner of police as directing the deputy commissioner in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) to carry out a discreet investigation, with the aim of arresting other members of the group terrorising the state.