Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has attributed the release of kidnapped Prelate of the Methodist Church Nigeria Samuel Kanu-Uche to divine intervention.
Kanu-Uche was abducted along with the Methodist Bishop of Owerri Dennis Mark and the prelate’s Chaplain on Sunday by gunmen operating on the Okigwe/Isuochi axis of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.
They were on Monday after N100million was reportedly paid as ransom.
In a statement on Monday by his chief press secretary Onyebuchi Ememanka Governor Ikpeazu said that the release of the abducted men was through “grace of God, the fervent prayers of the Christian Community and the well-coordinated response from security agencies in Abia State”.
The statement read: “The Governor is grateful to God for His saving grace upon the Prelate of who is a son of Abia State.
“Ikpeazu assured that security will be stepped up around the Isuikwuato – Umunneochi axis of the State where there has, in the recent past, been a spike in the activities of criminals.
“The location of the area around the state’s borders with 4 states of Imo, Anambra, Enugu, and Ebonyi make it attractive to criminals who easily enter the State and also escape through any of these routes.
“The Governor called for Inter State Collaboration with the neighboring states in securing those areas and stamp out the activities of criminals there.”
