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Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Obimma, the Spiritual Director of Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry in Uke, Anambra State, has revealed that he had to personally pay N1 million to the police to secure the release of a kidnapped Catholic priest, Fr. Nonso.
Fr. Obimma, widely known as “Father Ebube Muonso,” shared the harrowing details of the abduction, which occurred on December 17, shortly after Fr. Nonso’s return from overseas for the Christmas holiday. The priest was held captive for a week before being released by the kidnappers.
In a viral video shown to his congregation, Fr. Obimma explained that after spending a week with the kidnappers, he took matters into his own hands and led a rescue operation with the help of his ministry’s security personnel. The police, he said, initially informed him that they could not intervene due to a lack of logistics.
“At a point, I had to use my resources to make the rescue happen,” Fr. Obimma said. “I had to approach a state outside Anambra and beg them to use their tracker to find my brother priest. They tracked him and sent the location to me, but when I shared it with the police, they told me they couldn’t go into the forest.”
Fr. Obimma, frustrated by the government’s failure to act, then mobilized his own team. “I called the Chief Security Officer of Adoration Ministry and asked him to assemble our team. We armed ourselves, and I was ready to lead the operation myself.” After this, the police assured him that they could now rescue Fr. Nonso but requested N1 million for logistics, which Fr. Obimma provided.
He also criticized the state’s insecurity, questioning how the governor could receive substantial security votes yet fail to protect citizens. “I had to fund security in Anambra State,” he lamented. “This is a state where individuals are now funding security while the government fails to act.”
Despite these challenges, the priest praised God for the successful rescue. He revealed that during his time in captivity, Fr. Nonso’s phone remained open, highlighting the kidnappers’ lack of concern for security monitoring due to the weak law enforcement in the state.
The Anambra State Police Command has confirmed the priest’s rescue and announced an investigation into Fr. Obimma’s claims. Police spokesperson SP Tochukwu Ikenga stated, “The CP has directed a full-scale investigation into these allegations, and I will get back to you once the investigation is concluded.”