Gunmen who abducted Rev. Fr. Kingsley Eze, the parish priest of St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Imo State, and his driver, Uchennna Newman, have reportedly lowered their ransom demand from N50 million to N10 million.
News About Nigeria gathered that the victims were kidnapped on Thursday night near Orieama Junction, Isiala Mbano Local Government Area.
The incident occurred near St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Umuekebi, Osuowerre, where Fr. Eze serves as the parish priest.
Fr. Eze, also known as Father Ichie, and Newman were abducted while gunmen also shot an onlooker during the incident.
The exact location of the onlooker’s medical treatment remains undisclosed.
According to a source who told Punch they do not want to be named, the perpetrators had earlier demanded N50 million, but the kidnappers later contacted the driver’s wife, revising the ransom to N10 million.
The demand for a substantial ransom has raised concerns, as those close to the victims express worry about their safety and the difficulty in meeting the kidnappers’ financial demands.
Despite the reduction in ransom, the sum of N10 million remains a significant challenge for the priest and his driver, prompting concerns among the parishioners and the broader community.
The source said, “They called the driver’s wife on Sunday and Monday, respectively and made a demand of N50m. But I learnt that they have called again and reduced the amount to N10m.
“Where will the poor priest and the other person get that kind of amount from? Let nothing happens to them. We pray for their safe return.”
