The latest abduction comes three months after the head of the country's Methodist Church was whisked away by gunmen in the region. The cleric was released barely a day after his kidnap after allegedly paying his captors a ransom of 100 million naira (around $235,000), reports CNN.

Zita Ihedoro, secretary general of Sisters of Jesus, the Saviour Generalate, told the American news channel that the four nuns were abducted while traveling from Rivers state to Imo for a thanksgiving mass on Sunday.

Police spokesperson in Imo, Michael Abattam, said officers were pursuing the kidnappers.

"We are presently on their trail," Abattam told CNN Tuesday. "We are doing everything to see that they (the nuns) are rescued."