His Eminence Samuel Uche, the Prelate of Methodist Church Nigeria, has disclosed that the Fulani herders who kidnapped him and others tortured him to the point where he nearly lost his sight after banging his right eye on a tree.
The clergyman who described his near-death encounter at the hands of kidnappers stated there were eight of them in all, all Fulani herdsmen with one claiming to be from Abia State.
The Bishop of Owerri, Rt. Rev. Dennis Mark, and his chaplain, Very Rev. Abidemi Shittu, were abducted on Sunday along the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway in the Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State, according to SaharaReporters.
Uche claimed that some military soldiers from the north were assisting the kidnappers in their activities in the region during a press conference held at Methodist Church in Yaba, Lagos State, on Tuesday.
"These people came out of the jungle; they divided themselves into three areas; some people fired at us, and another group stood in front to make sure we didn't flee; they fired shots at our vehicle, and eventually they abducted three of us," the Prelate added.
"They seized me, the bishop of Owerri, and my chaplain, and carried us to the bush and tortured us," said the chaplain.
I hit my right eye on a tree while being tortured in this manner.
They didn't feel like anything happened, even while blood was gushing and I was rubbing my eyes with a handkerchief.
"All they said was that we should follow them; that they weren't really against Nigerian citizens, but rather against the government, and that the administration was evil."
"They are Fulani boys; all eight are Fulanis; they stated they would chew the president or any of his representatives raw the day they meet him; that he is their brother, but he has disappointed them and Nigeria."
"I said, even though I work for the government, I'm a churchman, not a government official; they said, okay, that's what saved you; otherwise, we would have killed you without asking for a ransom, but now that you're a churchman, let's walk into the bush."
"I climbed up for about 15 kilometres, but I realised we were wasting our time; we were going up and down, and at 11 p.m., they said, 'OK, now we can negotiate; each of us will pay N50 million, and we will pay N150 million.'"
I felt it was a joke when I said we'd pay N10 million, and they replied, "What?"
Don't say that; when they tried to cut me with their knife, I said, "Please hold on."
The group's leader, according to the cleric, is around 35 years old, while the others are around 18.
He claimed they had taken his rings, chain, and all of his money and demanded N150 million in ransom.
The abductors eventually dropped the ransom to N100 million, warning that if they bargain, they will be killed, according to the cleric.
They asked where the money was after a while, and I reWe will compensate you witplied, "This is Sunday night, how can we get money this night?" They said, "You know, there's this sit-at-home thing in Igbo country," and I added, "You know, there's this sit-at-home thing in Igbo territory."
We can't afford the money right now, but if you wait until the morning, we'll make contact."
The kidnappers, according to Uche, ran out of patience, laid Bishop Dennis Mark down, raised a knife to cut him, and pointed a gun at him (prelate) to show that they were serious.
"I assured them we'd raise the money for you," she said.
But the irony was that they were stationed at Lomara intersection, where the soldiers, all of Fulani descent, Nigerian soldiers, were stationed, and these youngsters were trailing them.
Meanwhile, they kept their cows, which numbered around 200, elsewhere.
He claimed that several individuals were looking after the cows as the abductors paraded them around the jungle until they found a suitable location.
"They said, 'When are you bringing the money?' I replied, 'When are you bringing the money?'
I said that by 12 p.m., I'd call the people I'd contacted to see whether the money had been raised, and when I did, they said that they were gathering the money and that they had heard it because I said I'd use my phone to talk, and they couldn't because they didn't want to be monitored.
"Their chieftain was born in Igbo territory, but both of his parents perished.
He stated he was born in the Umuahia Amuzukwu area and that his father was a cattle dealer. "The youngster knew Igbo," he said.
He claimed the commander threatened to murder them if they told security operatives about the N100 million ransom.
The leader instructed them to purchase five 'Ghana must go' bags, each containing N20 million.
They left to collect the ransom, but four others with firearms remained behind.
"Around 5.30pm, the youngest lad, who I believe is their commander's younger brother, said 'Oga, congratulations, you are free, you can go now," he added.
You are free to leave now that we have received our funds.
Allow me to show you the way.'
"They led us to Old Road and inscribed 'welcome to Imo' and 'goodbye from Abia' on the wall.
"They informed us that once they had enough guns, they would gather all the people who had been forced out of Zamfara, Katsina, and Sambisa Forest, and they would settle in Igbo country and deal with us."
"Do you know the Ibadan expressway?" he inquired.
We've taken over the entire bush there, as well as the South-South, and we're waiting for the slightest signal to finish you people and take over this area.
They claimed Fulani control over Nigeria."
The priest claimed that Fulani military members were assisting kidnappers who pretended to be herders during the day but were actually kidnappers at night.
He urged the government to act quickly, warning that "otherwise, what is going on in the north will be child's play."
He said that it was the Methodist Church Nigeria and its members who worked to gain his release, not government security forces.
Source: Sahara Reporters