Kidnappers have released a Catholic priest they kiddnapoed in error and told him that he was not their target.
They gave the priest a sum of 4000 Naira and apologized to him.
Kidnappers have released a Catholic priest they kiddnapoed un error and told him that he was not our target. .
Rev. Fr. David Echioda is a Catholic priest serving in Otukpo dioceses.
He was kidnapped last Sunday and has been released by his abductors.
Narrating this to newsmen on Wednesday, the director of communications, Otukpo Catholic Diocese, Rev. Fr. John Okopotu, said that the kidnappers apologised to the priest as he was not their target.
Rev Okopotu said that the victim (Rev. Fr. Echioda) was released on Tuesday around 6:30 pm.
The Rev. Fr. said that the abductors told the victim that he was wrongly abducted.
And that they were expecting a top politician whom they got information would be passing through the route around 2:00 pm on Sunday. But they waited until around 4:00 pm and did not see their target.
However, the director of communication said that the priest was returning to Otukpo when he ran into the kidnappers.
The kidnappers were numbering six and armed with sophisticated weapons.
Further narrating the ordeal, the Clergyman said: “Yes, the priest was released yesterday (Wednesday) after the gunmen tortured him”
“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 2 pm.
“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 carried AK-47 and were speaking Hausa.
“Although 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.
So, they gave him N4,000.00 to take care of himself,” the Clergyman said.
