Mother Regina ocso - Hijacked

Nigeria
Mother Regina - Hijacked

Friday, 27 August 2010 18:19

On Mother Regina’s return trip from Nigeria on August 19th after assisting at two Visitations, visiting the third Community and spending a few days with her own Community and family, she had a most grueling experience.

Traveling on a fourteen passenger public transportation vehicle from Enugu to Abuja to catch the plane for Rome, they were hijacked about four hours into an eight hour trip. About 11.00 AM, a large Peugeot car with dark windows stopped in front of the bus and six armed men shooting in the air, demanded entry into the bus; severely beat the driver and threw him, literally, into the back of the bus. A hijacker drove the bus on to a side road, was waved through two police check points and travelled for about an hour until they were stuck in the mud. Meanwhile the hijackers went through the bus taking the passengers money and valuables. At that point all were ordered off the bus. Each was thoroughly searched and everything of value was taken from them. Mother Regina’s passport and soggiorno fell to the ground from her purse. She was able to retrieve them unnoticed. All the baggage was taken from the bus, opened and the contents strewn around in search for valuables. Mother Regina was with another Sister who happened to be on the bus. As the passengers were being herded deeper into the woods one of the robbers who spoke Igbo, Mother Regina’s language, beckoned the nuns and two young law students to go into a wooded area while the rest went on. (Two days later there still was no information concerning the passengers marched into the woods.) After waiting in the woods for a couple hours Regina and her three companions went back to the place where all the belongings were strewn and gathered what they could and started in the direction of the main road, carrying her positions on her head, in the pouring rain. Some local villagers met them but were hostile toward them. They received a couple of short rides but anyone who offered a ride wanted money up-front and they had none. They were warned by one person who gave them a ride and a bit of money that they must get out of the territory before night-fall, or else. With it still raining, Mother Regina collapsed when they reached the highway. Her companions revived her with some water from a passerby. They flagged a bus of the same company who would only give them a ride when they produced their tickets from the bus that was hijacked. It was 11:30 PM when Mother Regina reached a convent where she had stayed the week before. Everything was locked. Fortunately a priest retreatant was out late and brought her inside the compound and with his cell phone finally woke the Sister in charge who came and cared for Mother Regina.

The first thing the robbers had done was take all the cell phones. Mother Regina’s Prioress phoned Regina’s number about 4:00 PM when Regina should have been at the airport. A very gruff masculine voiced responded, “Your church person is lost”. Regina’s family also tried to phone her and received the message that the owner of this phone had been killed! This caused great consternation. Especially considering the family’s history that Regina’s younger brother had been shot dead in an armed robbery about eight years before in almost the same spot. Then two months ago another of her brothers was dragged from his truck and severally beaten because he could not produce sufficient money. He has still not been able to return to work.

The Sisters at the retreat house were very good to Mother Regina; loaning money; giving her first-aid medical care. KLM was very efficient and took a personal interest – at a price – in getting Mother Regina to Rome Sunday morning at 9:05 via Lagos. Mother Regina has entered the usual flow of the Viale Africa Community. Whatever will assist her to integrate her experience will be available to her. Let us thank the Lord for protecting Mother Regina’s life and pray for the other victims and that the hijackers can find a new vision of life.

Five days later, the hijackers continue to phone the numbers on Mother Regina’s cell phone demanding that a ransom be paid.  The caller does not realize that she has escaped!  It must have been very disturbing for the nuns and her family to continue receiving such calls.  It was only with great difficulty that they were finally able to have the number cancelled.

From Generalate Rome: www.ocso.org