N1.5m: Pastor arrested for kidnapping a Catholic priest

Pastor Izochukwu Anoloba of the Apostolic Church of Christ was expected to be of high moral standing, leading people away from criminal tendencies and toward Godly traits, but the opposite is the case for him.

The 35-year-old threw caution to the wind and took part in the abduction of a Catholic Priest, Fr. Fidelis Ekemgba, in Imo State, in flagrant violation of the axiom that “dogs don’t eat dogs.”

Fr Ekengba, 45, was kidnapped and held captive for a week before being released after a N5 million ransom was paid.

Pastor Anoloba and his other gunmen colleagues are currently in the custody of the Imo Police Command, but that was not the end of the problem for him.

Anoloba admitted to journalists that he received N1.5 million from the ransom the priest paid them.

He said, “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 will be arrested. I regret my actions because I am now a disgrace to the body of Christ and my family.”

The state Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Hussaini, described the suspects and others as holding the priest for more than seven days and demanding a ransom of N5 million.

The preacher was arrested in Lagos after intelligence was gathered by men from the command’s anti-kidnapping section, according to the CP, who stated that the racket was a dangerous one.

He said that the priest, 45, who is in charge of St. Peters Catholic parish in Umunohu Amakaohia in the state’s Ihitte/Uboma Local Government Area, was caught and kidnapped.

The CP praised his guys for their efforts and stated that he will continue to make life difficult for criminals in the state.