The kidnapped Prelate of the Methodist Church, His Eminence Samuel Uche, on Tuesday revealed that N100 million was paid to his abductors as ransom before he was released.
Uche was kidnapped along Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, in Umunneochi Local Government Area, alongside two others, the Bishop of Methodist Church, Owerri Diocese and the Prelate’s chaplain by unidentified gunmen on Sunday.
However, on Monday, the Abia State Police Command confirmed his release alongside his (Chaplain), Very Rev. Abidemi Jeremiah Shittu, and the Bishop of Owerri, Rt. Rev. Dennis Mark, from their abductors.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Geoffrey Ogbonna, while confirming his release Monday night, had said, “If there is any (arrest), it is not to my knowledge. All I know is that they have regained their freedom.
On whether ransom was paid, he said, “It is when we see them that we can now ask those questions”.
But at a press conference in Lagos, on Tuesday, the cleric said N100 million was paid as ransom, adding that the monies were arranged in five sacks of N20 million.
The funds, according to him, were raised by the Methodist Church in Nigeria.
He said the federal and state governments, the military and police did not intervene in his predicament.