It is no longer news that the Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, His Eminence, Samuel Kanu-Uche was abducted by hoodlums last week.
The man of God was kidnapped on Sunday along the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway in the Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State.
He was taken together with his chaplain, Very Rev. Abidemi Shittu, and the Bishop of Owerri, Rt. Rev. Dennis Mark.
The prelate said his team was going to the airport when they were attacked adding that after they were captured like prisoners of war, they were taken into the bush and tortured.
The cleric also submitted that the eight-man gang was made up of ‘Fulani boys’ who claimed to be against the government.
He even said only one of the hoodlums understood English, while others spoke Fulfulde.
Though, he has since been set free after a princely sum of N100m was paid by the church, there are still so many reasons for Nigerians to mourn and be cross with the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government.
If a respected Prelate of a church as big as the Methodist Church could be made to go through this kind of harrowing experience, what other Nigerians are presently undergoing can best be imagined.
As a matter of fact, the cleric spent less than a week and was released because he could muscle and cough out N100 million at the speed of lightening.
This ‘feat’ achieved by the man of God may even encourage these hoodlums to start focusing on His Eminence, Samuel Kanu-Uche’s colleagues who head or/and own other big religious organisations.
There is no doubt that since the malaise of kidnapping has attained this level, political office holders at the Federal level will, or must look for ways to triple their ‘security architecture’ to avoid falling victim. Kidnappers and other hoodlums have been gaining more confidence. All thanks to the lackadaisical attitude of Nigerian governments at all levels.
In order to convince Nigerians that it knows what it is doing, FG must first do something about the Kaduna-Abuja train passengers who are still languishing in the enclave of kidnappers.
A stitch in time, they say, saves nine!
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!
