Abducted Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, His Eminence Samuel Uche, has revealed that a total sum of N100 million was paid as ransom before he was released.
This was disclosed by Uche on Tuesday at a press conference in Lagos, where he said that the monies that were paid as ransom was arranged in 5 sacks of N20 million and were raised by the Methodist Church in Nigeria.
The Methodist Prelate also in his statement claimed that neither the Federal or State Government nor the military or police made any intervention during his short ordeal.
Recall that on May 29, the cleric and 2 other top church officials, namely his chaplain, Very Rev. Abidemi Shittu, and the Bishop of Owerri, Rt. Rev. Dennis Mark, were kidnapped along the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State.
They were reportedly whisked away at about 2pm on their way from a church programme in Okigwe Imo State to Isuochi in Umu Nneochi Local Government Area of Abia State, with the kidnappers demanding N100 million ransom.
The Methodist Church had after the kidnap appealed to the church’s faithful to raise N100 million, being ransom demanded by the abductors.
However, the kidnapped victims were released on Monday, May 30, 2022, barely 24 hours after their abduction.
According to the cleric, neither the Federal or State Government, nor the military or police intervened.
The increasing incidents of kidnapping for ransom across the country, especially in the Northern and Southeastern part of the country, has become quite alarming, especially with the violent nature of the operations.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has taken a tough stance against ransom payments with the signing of a law criminalising ransom payments by President Muhammadu Buhari.
