The Prelate, Methodist Church of Nigeria, Dr Samuel Uche, on Tuesday said the people who abducted him and the other two clerics were all Fulanis who were within 18 years and their leader would be about 35 years old and they expressed frustration at the President and his government, saying they were not actually against Nigeria citizens but President Buhari and his government.
Narrating his ordeal, the Prelate said they trekked inside the bush going up and down for about 15 kilometres and at exactly 11 pm, they started negotiation and the captors said each of them would pay N50 million and the total would be N150 million. “I thought it was a joke, I said we were going to pay N10 million, and they said what? They wanted to cut me but didn’t before showing me the decomposed bodies of those they have killed, at the end they settled for N100 million and said it was not negotiable,” Dr Uche said.
He said after several calls, the church was able to raise the ransom, adding: “The following day, when I called the church, they said the effort was ongoing to raise the money and they have already raised N30 million. As of 3 pm, the church raised N130 million.
He went further to explain that the kidnappers instructed the church to package the money in five Ghana-must-go bags and make it N20 million in five places, threatening that the people bring the money must not involve security men, that if they do, they will kill them.
He finally stressed that all the efforts made to secure his release were by the Methodist Church of Nigeria, not the police, army or any govt official.
