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Nine days after his abduction, the Catholic Priest of St. Peter Catholic Church, Ivukwa, in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, Rev. Fr. Peter Ekweli, has reportedly regained his freedom.
However, uncertainty surrounds the fate of the seminarian abducted alongside him, Peter Andrew.
Conflicting reports suggest he may have been killed, while others indicate his whereabouts remain unknown.
A source within the community, close to the Catholic Church, claimed that a ransom of no less than N20m might have been paid to secure the priest’s release.
However, there are also claims that he was rescued.
A viral video circulating on Thursday featured a man, allegedly a fellow kidnap victim, who was surrounded by uniformed vigilante operatives.
In the video, he recounted being held in the same location as Fr. Ekweli and the seminarian.
According to him, the captors forced them to shut their eyes before a gunshot rang out.
When they were allowed to open their eyes, he said he saw the seminarian struggling for his life before succumbing to his injuries.
The man added that they were later made to trek to a location in Edo Central, from where he managed to escape.
When contacted, the Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, Moses Yamu, confirmed that the priest had been rescued by the police.
He added that the command would soon issue an official statement on the matter.
Meanwhile, a source within the Catholic Church stated that the Church is expected to release an official statement on the priest’s release on Friday.
