The Anambra State Command of the Nigeria Police Force has successfully rescued a Catholic priest who was abducted on Sunday morning within the state.
Rev. Father Stephen Echezona was freed by a collaborative effort involving police, military personnel, civil defence, and the Anambra Vigilante Services (AVG) in Ichida, located in the Ihiala Local Government Area.
In a statement released on Monday morning, the spokesperson for the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the rescue, stating that the priest was taken from a petrol station in Ichida by armed individuals in a white Lexus SUV that lacked a license plate.
Ikenga noted that the assailants abandoned the vehicle and fled with Rev. Father Echezona when they attempted to escape due to the overwhelming firepower of the joint security forces.
The operatives also recovered the abandoned white Lexus.
He explained that a coordinated pursuit was initiated, with security checkpoints and personnel across the state being notified, which resulted in the criminals leaving the priest in Ihiala and retreating into a nearby forest.
Ikenga added that the joint security team has secured the area in Ihiala and is actively working to capture the armed criminals and recover the Toyota Highlander belonging to Rev. Father Echezona.
