Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, His Eminence, Samuel Kanu Uche, on Tuesday, disclosed that his abductors were paid the sum of N100 million as ransom to secure his release from captivity.

The Star had reported that the Prelate of the Methodist Church was abducted on Sunday along Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State.

Uche was heading to Owerri Airport en route Lagos after a Sunday service when he was kidnapped alongside Rt. Rev. Dennis Mark, the Methodist Bishop of Owerri and the Prelate’s Chaplain.

The clergyman, however, regained freedom on Monday.

Recounting his experience at a press conference at the Hoare’s Memorial Methodist Church, Yaba, Lagos State on Tuesday, the cleric revealed that the church paid N100 million to the abductors, adding that the money was arranged in five sacks of N20 million in each sack.

Uche said when he tried to reduce the ransom, the gunmen threatened to shoot him, adding that the eight-man gang was made up of “Fulani boys” who claimed to be against the government.

The Prelate stated that neither the federal, state governments nor even the security operatives made efforts to secure his release.

The cleric said: “In order to catch up with my flight at 4pm, we took off by 2pm to go to the airport, oblivious of the fact that kidnappers were waiting on the road.

“As we were descending to Ileru in Abia State, they came out from the bush and divided themselves into three groups.

“Some were at the back, some at the centre. Then there was another group in front to make sure we did not run away. They fired shots at our vehicle and eventually abducted three of us. The communication man of the church and the driver escaped.

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“They took us into the bush and tortured us. In the process of the torture, I hit my right eye on a tree and even when blood was flowing and was soaking my handkerchief, they did not feel like anything happened. All they said was that we should follow them.

“They even said that if they get Buhari, they will chew him to pieces because he had disappointed them.

“We were taken into the bush and we trekked up to 15 kilometres. Eventually at 11pm, they said we should negotiate and each of us should pay N50m, making N150m.

“They pointed their guns at us. They threatened that if we involved the DSS, police or Army, they would kill us.

“They said down there, there is a gully of seven decomposing bodies and we cut off their heads. We also perceived the odour of killed human beings.

“Their leader asked for five Ghana-Must-Go bags for the N100m. He also said Lagos is on their radar.

“I am asking that the government should act now before another thing starts to happen.

“The Methodist church sent N100m for the three of us who were kidnapped.

“The money came from members of the Methodist Church of Nigeria. The Nigerian Army is complicit in the kidnapping,” Uche disclosed.

The Star