Police Rescue Catholic Bishop, Driver From Abductors ‘Without Ransom’

The auxiliary bishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri, Bishop Moses Chikwe, and his driver, who were abducted on 27/12/2020 have been rescued by the Imo State police operatives. It was gathered that they were rescued ‘unhurt as a result of a sting operations embarked upon by the tactical squad of the command led by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit’.

THE WHISTLER reports that the hoodlums, after abducting the auxiliary bishop and his driver, proceeded to kidnap 33-year-old lady, Chioma Stephenie Ekwedike, at Imo Housing Estate, Umuguma, Owerri West Local Government Area in front of her residence.

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SP Orlando Ikeokwu, the police PRO, Imo State, stated that, “Pursuant to the above, the head and the officer in charge of the state police command, newly-promoted AIG Isaac O. Akinmoyede, activated all the tactical teams in the command, and charged them to rescue the bishop and others, and arrest the hoodlums responsible for the act.

“Acting on the directive, a combined unit of all the tactical teams on the 31st December, 2020, stormed Awara, Ohaji/Egbema LGA and Omuku creeks. Few persons positively linked to the crimes/criminals were arrested, and some incriminating items recovered. The arrest of the suspects and other coordinated operations by the command led to the kidnappers abandoning victims, leading to the rescue of the bishop and two other victims unhurt and without payment of any ransom. Efforts are ongoing to arrest the fleeing members of the notorious kidnapping syndicate.”

Mr Ikeokwu, while reacting to an earlier media report (not THE WHISTLER) that the bishop had been killed, called on the media to always verify their information before going public. He said, “In the online report, it was claimed that the auxiliary bishop was beheaded and his head and decapitated body recovered somewhere in Anambra State. The command therefore wishes to warn against such speculative and junk reports, especially in social media as such are capable of causing a breach of peace.”

Meanwhile, the Catholic archbishop of Owerri, Bishop Anthony Obinna, weekend, commended the state police command for rescuing the abductors. Bishop Obinna in a statement made available to our correspondent, said, “I personally visited Bishop Chikwe in his residence; he was looking and feeling very weak from the traumatic experience. Nevertheless, we continue to thank Almighty God for His goodness.

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“I gratefully acknowledge the Imo State government, the Nigeria Police, the DSS, and the Anambra State government through the chief security officer of the state for their combined their efforts to attain the release of Bishop Chikwe and Mr Ndubuisi Robert, his driver.”

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