Police rescue Catholic priest, FRSC officer from kidnappers

The Ebonyi Police Command has rescued a Catholic priest,

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the priest, who serves at St. Mary’s Parish in the area, was kidnapped by three gunmen at about 8.30pm on Sunday night at his residence.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Loveth Odah, confirmed on Monday the safe rescue of the priest and his cook, who was also abducted with him.

She said that the police, acting on a tip-off, raided the criminals’ hideout and rescued the kidnapped victims.

“The priest was having dinner when the kidnappers sneaked into his room not knowing that his cook had gone upstairs to get water from the refrigerator.

“They abducted her; and on hearing her scream, the priest ran upstairs to know what was going on and they also abducted him.

“They took him away in his own vehicle, blindfolded and blocked his ears so that he won’t be able to listen to their conversation,” the police spokesperson said.

Odah said that the kidnappers later separated the priest and cook, fortunately the former jumped out through the window of the uncompleted building where he was taken to.

“The kidnappers had taken Holy Communion wine while in the priest’s house and subsequently dozed off which enabled the priest to escape.

“They had planned to demand the N100 million ransom from the Bishop of Abakaliki Diocese in the morning before running out of luck.

“We have arrested one of the suspected kidnappers and have launched a serious manhunt for the remaining two,” she said.

In the same vein, the Zamfara State Police Command has rescued a personnel of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Muhammad B-Kudu, kidnapped recently by unidentified gunmen at Tsafe Unit Command of the FRSC in the state.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the unidentified gunmen had on Sept. 21 invaded the Tsafe Unit Command of the FRSC in Tsafe Local Government Area of the state killing one officer, Hamza Mubarak and kidnapping the rescued victim.

The state Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Shaba Alkali, told NAN in Gusau on Monday, that since the abduction, the command did not relent until the safe rescue of the FRSC officer.

He said the officer was rescued on Sunday by a team of mobile policemen at Dandindin Village in Maru Local Government Area of the state.

Alkali said that though the gunmen escaped into the forest during the rescue operation, the command would continue to comb the area until all the criminals are arrested and brought to book.

“The FRSC officer was successfully rescued and brought to police headquarters, where he was formally handed over to the state FRSC Acting-Sector Commander,” the CP said.

He thanked members of the public for their support in giving relevant information that led to the dislodgement of criminals in the state.