Abducted Catholic priest in Benue regains freedom
The abducted priest of the Otukpo Catholic Diocese in Benue State, Reverend Father David Echioda, on Wednesday morning regained freedom from his captors. Echioda was kidnapped on Sunday afternoon by unknown gunmen at Alan-Akpa road in Otukpo Local Government Area of the state while returning from Utonkon in Ado LGA where he went to conduct […]
The abducted priest of the Otukpo Catholic Diocese in Benue State, Reverend Father David Echioda, on Wednesday morning regained freedom from his captors.
Echioda was kidnapped on Sunday afternoon by unknown gunmen at Alan-Akpa road in Otukpo Local Government Area of the state while returning from Utonkon in Ado LGA where he went to conduct a special mass.
The Director of Communications, Otukpo Catholic Diocese, Rev. Fr John Okopopu on Wednesday confirmed to journalists in Makurdi that the abductors of the priest released him without any ransom.
Okpopu said the abducted priest was not the original target of his captors and that was why they released him at 6.30am on Wednesday.
He explained that the abductors told him (victim) that they mistook him for a top politician who they had information was going to ply the route, adding that the priest, who was returning to Otukpo before his abduction ran into the gunmen numbering six and armed with sophisticated weapons.
“The abductors said that he was not their target and that they had information that a top person was going to pass the road around 2pm
“Unfortunately, when the gunmen could not see their target they began to rob and the priest was the first to run into them and they dispossessed him of his belongings including the church money.
“They forced him into his vehicle, three men in the front, three at the back while one was searching the priest. All of them were speaking Hausa; the priest understands Hausa and communicated with them in Hausa. They tortured and later released him with an apology that he was not their target and gave him N4,000 to take care of himself,” Okpopu narrated.