2 days ago
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The Spiritual Director of Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry, Uke, Anambra State, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Obimma, popularly known as “Father Ebube Muonso” has narrated how a priest and colleague, simply identified as Rev. Fr. Nonso, was kidnapped and spent a week at his captors’ den in a forest, before his rescue.
Obimma also stated that the police in the state initially refused to carry out any rescue action, claiming there was no logistics to do so until he sent N1m to them.
The priest disclosed this to members of his congregation during a ministration monitored by our correspondent at the Adoration ground in Uke, on Monday.
He said the victim was abducted on December 17 shortly after his return from overseas for the Christmas holiday and was released by the kidnappers, a week after he was taken into the forest by the gunmen.
Obimma, who presented Reverend Father Nonso to the congregation during the ministration, said, “For a week, Reverend Father (Nonso) was in the hands of kidnappers. Government could not do anything, it got to a point where I had to use my arsenal to rescue him.
“I approached a state outside Anambra and begged them to use their tracker to find my brother priest. They tracked him and sent the full location to me. I sent it to security people and they asked me what I want them to do with the information. I told them to go after the kidnappers and rescue our priest, but they told me they don’t usually go into the forest.
“I volunteered to lead the operation. I called the Chief Security (Officer) of Adoration Ministry and told him to assemble his men, let those who have cutlasses bring their cutlasses and those who have guns should bring them, I would lead the operation. When they saw that I was serious, that was when the police told me I should not worry that they could rescue him, just that they lacked logistics.
“I had to send N1m to them. This is a state where we have a governor who receives security votes, but it is individuals who are now funding security.”
The priest lamented that the shocking part of the scenario was that for one week, the kidnapped priest was in custody, his mobile phone line remained open and the kidnappers never bothered to put it off or even dispose of it, knowing that they could be tracked through it.
“They knew that there is no security in this state. That was why I said there is no security in Anambra State. Imagine using a tracker from another location to trace kidnappers, yet, the security agencies refused to act until I opted to use my security to rescue the victim, and later they accepted and I still paid them N1m for mobilisation. Only God will lead us,” the priest added.
The rescued priest was seen shedding tears while he was being presented before the congregation by Fr Obimma.
It was gathered that the priest was rescued alongside a businessman who was abducted on the same day by the same gang but in a different location.
When contacted on the development on Tuesday, the spokesman for the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the development, adding that the Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Itam, had ordered a full-scale investigation into the allegations.
“We are aware of the allegations and the CP has directed the investigation, please. I will get back to you as soon as an investigation is concluded,” Ikenga added.
