Police confirm release of Rev. Fr. Amoke by kidnappers

The Police in Enugu State say that a Catholic Priest, Rev. Fr. Chijioke Amoke, abducted by unknown gunmen on Nov. 2, has been released. Amoke was a the parish priest at the Onitsha-Enugu-Ezike Catholic Parish in Igbobeze North Local Government Area of the state.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr Danazumi Doma, confirmed the realise of the priest in a telephone interview in Enugu on Thursday.
He said that the abductors released the priest unharmed on Wednesday night.
“The abducted priest has been re-united with his parish members,” he said and warned that the police would not condone any form of hooliganism.
When contacted, Rev. Fr. Simeon Ugwueze, Chairman of Justice and Peace Commission, Nsukka Diocese also confirmed the release.
He said that Amoke was released by his abductors at Obollo-Afor, in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu, where a police patrol team picked him up.
“The abducted priest was released by his abductors around 9.00 p.m. on Wednesday night. The priest is in his parish in Onitsha-Enugu-Ezike.
“We give God all the honour and adoration that made it possible for the abductors to release Amoke.
“The Catholic Diocese of Nsukka is grateful to all who joined us in prayers to ensure the release of the kidnapped priest.
“We are especially grateful to journalists, who in their various publications condemned the targeting of a priest serving in the vineyard of God, for kidnap,” he said.
A High Mass was held on Wednesday in Nsukka by the dioceses seeking God’s intervention for the release of the priest.
It was not clear whether the N10 million ransom demanded by the abductors was paid but the dioceses had insisted that it will not pay anything to facilitate the release of the priest.
Source