The kidnapped Prelate of the Methodist Church, His Eminence Samuel Kalu Uche, on Tuesday said N100 million ransom was paid as ransom before he was released.
At a press conference in Lagos, the cleric said the monies were arranged in five sacks of N20 million.
The funds, he noted, were raised by the Methodist Church in Nigeria.
The Church, the Prelate said, raised N130 million within 24 hours and transferred the N100 million demanded by the terrorists who kidnapped them.
The Prelate said the kidnappers initially demanded N150 million, N50 million for each of them.
But after negotiation, it was brought down to N100 million. Then the hoodlums gave him phone to call his people.
The Church initially said they had N30 million.
But by 3 p.m. when he was asked to call again, they said they had raised N130 million and he told them to quickly send N100 million because life was important.
The Prelate didn’t say how the money was transferred to the terrorists.
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He also claimed that neither the federal and state government, nor the military and police intervened.
The cleric was kidnapped on Sunday in Abia State but was released on Monday.
The Prelate had been kidnapped alongside two others, the Bishop of Methodist Church, Owerri Diocese and the Prelate’s chaplain.
They were reportedly whisked away at about 2 p.m. on their way from a church programme in Okigwe Imo State to Isuochi in Umu Nneochi local government area of Abia State.
Kidnapping for ransom is rife in parts of Nigeria, including the South-East where most violent crimes are increasing.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has taken a tough stance against ransom payments. A law criminalising ransom payments was recently signed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
His release led to jubilation in Nigeria’s Christian community.
Soon after the news of the abduction came out, members of the Methodist Church in the country started hourly chain-prayers for his release and the other priests.
“His Eminence, Samuel Kanu, is a peace-loving Christian leader” whose abduction “came as a shock”, the Very Rev Nosakhare Nosayaba of Abuja’s Methodist Cathedral of Unity told the BBC after his kidnapping on Sunday.
