The man second in charge of the Anglican Church in Nigeria, Archbishop Ignatius Kattey is missing after being kidnapped near his home in Eleme, Port-Harcourt on Friday night.

A Diocesan statement says the Nigerian Archbishop’s wife Beatrice was also kidnapped, but later released. News reports say she was dumped from a vehicle during a police chase.

The Nigerian Tribune reports the couple were leaving their house in order to pick up the head of the Nigerian church, Primate Nicholas Okoh, when they were kidnapped.

On Saturday, the state Police Public Relations Officer Angela Agape told the News Agency of Nigeria no group had claimed responsibility and no ransom demand had been made.

Nigeria’s The Guardian newspaper says church leaders were praying for the Dean’s unconditional release and that they “would not think of paying a ransom”.

The abduction of Kattey, who is also the Bishop of the Niger Delta North Province, has prompted the Nigerian church to ask the worldwide church to pray for his release.