God is still in the business of delivering His servants, no matter what cynics say. This was amply demonstrated on Sunday in Ebonyi State when kidnappers who abducted a Catholic priest dozed off after drinking the holy communion wine found in the parish.
After observing that they were asleep, Reverend Father Timothy Nwanja who was kidnapped Sunday night in his residence at St. Mary’s Parish in Okpokueze Nkomoro community, Imoha Development Centre of Ezza North Local Government Area, and taken to an uncompleted building in the area, jumped out of the window and escaped.
The Ebonyi Police Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Loveth Odah confirmed on Monday that the Catholic priest and his cook were rescued.
Reverend Father Nwanja, who serves at St. Mary’s Parish in the area, was kidnapped by three gunmen at about 8.30pm on Sunday night at his residence.
Odah said that the police, acting on a tip-off, raided the criminals’ hideout and rescued the kidnapped victims.
“The priest was having dinner when the kidnappers sneaked into his room not knowing that his cook had gone upstairs to get water from the refrigerator.
“They abducted her; and on hearing her scream, the priest ran upstairs to know what was going on and they also abducted him.
“They took him away in his own vehicle, blindfolded and blocked his ears so that he won’t be able to listen to their conversation,” the police spokesperson said.
Odah said that the kidnappers later separated the priest and cook, fortunately the former jumped out through the window of the uncompleted building where he was taken to.
“The kidnappers had taken Holy Communion wine while in the priest’s house and subsequently dozed off which enabled the priest to escape.
“They had planned to demand the N100 million ransom from the Bishop of Abakaliki Diocese in the morning before running out of luck.
“We have arrested one of the suspected kidnappers and have launched a manhunt for the remaining two,” she said.
