A priest of the Nnewi Catholic Diocese, Rev Fr Stanislaus Mbamara, who was kidnapped on Friday evening by gunmen, has been freed by his abductors.
The church disclosed this in a statement signed by the Chancellor of Nnewi Catholic Diocese, Rev. Fr. Raphael Ezeogu, late on Sunday.
Mbamara was detained in the camp of his abductors for two days.
Confirming his release, the diocese, through Ezeogu, thanked Catholic adherents and their friends who joined them in prayers for the release of the priest.
Edeogu in the release said, “With joy, Nnewi Diocese is announcing that today June 4 2023, Rev. Fr. Stanislaus Mbamara, kidnapped two days ago, has been liberated.
“We sincerely thank all of you who joined us in prayer for God’s intervention.
“Please, join us in happily acknowledging God’s compassion once again. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now ever shall be, world without end.”
Earlier, the church announced that Rev. Fr Mbamara, attached to the Nnewi Diocese, and also a student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, was abducted by gunmen while returning to Nnewi from Awka on Friday.
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Ezogu had said, “The priest was kidnapped on June 2, 2023 and taken to an unknown destination and no contact has been established yet.
“May you kindly join us in prayers for his release in good health of body and mind.”
Meanwhile, three persons narrowly escaped death while one person sustained injuries when a truck carrying a 40-feet container fell at the Amanator area of the Onitsha-Owerri Expressway in Anambra State on Sunday.
That was one of the three cases of falling trucks recorded on the road over the weekend.
It was learnt that the truck driver was conveying the container to a destination at the Onitsha Main Market when he lost control due to the deplorable state of the road and rammed into a tricycle with four occupants.
Three passengers, who were going for the early morning church service, were fortunate as they jumped out of the tricycle when they saw the container dangling on the truck before it finally fell with the truck.
However, a metal object that popped out from the tyre section of the truck hit the tricycle rider on the face as he was running to safety, thereby injuring him.