I Was Kidnaped & Tortured By ‘Fulani Boys’, Paid N100m As Ransom – Methodist Prelate

The Prelate of the Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence, Samuel Kanu-Uche has narrated how he and two other clerics paid N100m as ransom after they were abducted and tortured by ‘Fulani boys’ in Abia State.

Samuel Kanu Uche

The Methodist Prelate alongside his chaplain, Very Rev. Abidemi Shittu, and the Bishop of Owerri, Rt. Rev. Dennis Mark were abducted on Sunday in Umunneochi LGA of Abia state.

Speaking at a news conference in Lagos on Tuesday, Uche said they were mercilessly beaten by the kidnappers who threatened to kill them until the church finally paid a sum of N100m to secure their freedom.

The clergyman said their abductors were Fulanis, alleging that some personnel of the Nigerian Army from Fulani extraction were aiding the kidnappers in their activities.

He said, “In order to catch up with my flight at 4 pm, we took off by 2 pm to go to the airport, oblivious of the fact that kidnappers were waiting on the road.

“As we were descending to Ileru in Abia State, they came out from the bush and divided themselves into three groups. Some were at the back, some at the center. Then there was another group in front to make sure we did not run away. They fired shots at our vehicle and eventually abducted three of us. The communication man of the church and the driver escaped.

“They abducted me, the bishop of Owerri and my chaplain and they took us to the bush and were torturing us. It was in the process of that torture that I hit my right eye on a tree. Even when blood was flowing and I was soaking my eyes with a handkerchief, they didn’t feel like anything happened.

“All they said was that we should follow them; that they were not actually against Nigerian citizens but against the government, that the government is a bad government.”

He said that the eight-man gang was made up of “Fulani boys,” who claimed to be against the government, noting that only one of the hoodlums understood English, while others spoke Fulfulde.

“They are Fulani boys; all the 8 are Fulanis; they said the day they will see the president or any of his representatives they will chew him raw; that he is their brother but he has disappointed them and has disappointed Nigeria.

”I said even though am part of the government, am a church man am not a government official; they said okay, that is what have saved you, we would have killed you out-rightly without asking for any ransom but now that you are a church man, lets go inside the bush.

“I trekked up-to 15 kilometers but I knew that we were rigmaroling, going up going down and eventually at 11 pm they said okay now we can negotiate; each of us will pay N50million and we are going to pay N150million. I thought it was a joke; I said we were going to pay 10million and they said what? Don’t say that; they lifted up their knife to cut me, I said please hold on.”

Kanu-Uche said the group’s leader is about 35 years while the others are about 18. He said they had taken his rings, chain, took the money they had on them, and insisted on N150 million ransom.

The prelate said the abductors came down to 100million ransom, warning that if they negotiate, they would be killed.

“I said okay. We will pay you N100 million. After some time, they said where is the money and I said this is Sunday night how can we get money this night and you know that there is this sit at home in igbo land. We cant afford the money now be patient till morning, we will make contacts.”

He said they lost patient, laid bishop Dennis Mark down, raised a knife to cut him, while another pointed a gun at him (prelate) to show that they were serious.

The cleric said he observed that military men were around the place where the hoodlums operated, while their cows were also around the vicinity.

“I told them we will raise the money for you. But the irony of it, where they were situated, the soldiers all of Fulani extraction, Nigerian soldiers, they were there at Lomara junction and this boys were going behind them. Meanwhile, they kept their cows somewhere, numbering about 200.”

He said some people were taking care of the cows while the abductors were parading them around the bush until they settled at a place,

“They said when are you bringing the money? I said by 12 noon, I will call the people i’ve contacted whether the money had been raised and I called them, they said that they are gathering the money and they heard it because they said I will use my phone to talk, they can’t use their phone, they don’t want to be tracked

“Their leader was born in Igbo land but his parents have died. He said he was born around Umuahia Amuzukwu and his father was a cow dealer, the boy understood igbo”

He said the leader threatened to kill them if they informed security operatives when they had raised N100million.

The leader asked them to buy 5 ghana must go bags and put N20million in each bag. They left to pick the ransom while four others waited on them with guns.

“Around 5;30pm, the youngest boy who I think is a younger brother to their commander said oga congratulations you are free you can go now. We have got our money, you can go. Let me show you the road. They took us to old road, where they wrote welcome to Imo’ and ‘goodbye from Abia”.

“They told us that after buying enough weapons, they are going to bring all those people that were driven away from zamfara, katsina, sambisa forest that they are all coming to locate themselves in igbo land and deal with us.

“The said do you know Ibadan expressway? We are in all the bush there, we are also in the south south, we are waiting for the slightest signal we will finish you people and take over this land. They claimed that Nigeria belong to Fulani.

The priest maintained that military personnel’s of Fulani extraction were aiding the kidnappers who disguise as herders in the daytime but are kidnappers at night.

“The Methodist church sent N100m for the three of us who were kidnapped. The money came from members of the Methodist Church of Nigeria. The Nigerian Army is complicit in the kidnapping,” he added.

Kanu-Uche called on the government to take a decisive action ‘other wise what is happening in the north will be a child’s play”

On how they picked up the ransom, he said the terrorists came to the pick-up spot with a truck without a number plate.

He stated that all efforts made to ensure that he is released was the effort of the Methodist church and her members and not security personnel nor government.

KanyiDaily had also reported how a pastor identified as Venerable Olu Obanla and his son were kidnapped along Ifon-Okeluse Road in the Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State.