Police in Imo have arrested a 35-year-old Pastor, Izuchukwu Anoloba, and others for kidnapping a Catholic priest, Revd Father Fidelis Ekemgba.
Police said that the Pastor and his accomplices held the 45-year-old Catholic priest in captivity for over seven days and forced him to pay them a N5million ransom.
Imo State Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Hussaini, while parading the pastor and other suspects, told newsmen that the syndicate was a deadly one.
According to the police boss, the pastor was arrested in Lagos following intelligence reports gathered by the operatives of the Command’s anti-kidnapping unit.
Father Ekemgba said to be in charge of St. Peters Catholic Parish in Umunohu Amakaohia, Ihitte/Uboma Local Government Area of the state, was said to have been waylaid and abducted by the suspects.
The CP, who commended police operatives from the command for an excellent job, vowed to ensure that criminals have no room to operate in the Imo State.
The prime suspects, Pastor Anoloba, confessed to journalists that he got a share of N1.5m from the ransom collected from the abducted priest.
“I am a pastor with Apostolic Church of Christ in Lagos. I got N1.5 million from the kidnap of the priest. I never knew I would be arrested. I regret my actions because I am now a disgrace to the body of Christ and my family,” he said.