Two Kidnapped Catholic Priests Regain Freedom

The two Catholic priests who were kidnapped last Saturday night by gunmen at Agbarha-Otor town, in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, have regained their freedom from the abductors.
The priests, Rev. Fr. Raphael Ogigbah, parish priest of St. Francis Catholic Parish Agbarha-Otor, Catholic Diocese of Warri, and Rev. Fr. Kunav Chochos, a Missionary Priest of the Schoenstartt Fathers, reportedly regained their freedom from the abductors yesterday.
The Tide’s source gathered that the embattled priests were released from the hoodlums’ hideout at noon yesterday, and have since reunited with the leadership of the Catholic Diocese of Warri.
A senior priest in the diocese who confirmed the release of the abducted fathers to journalists did not indicate if ransom was paid to secure their release.
The source, however, gathered that the abductors had earlier demanded N20 million as a ransom for the release of the Catholic priests.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for Delta State Command, DSP Bright Edafe, told the source that the Command had taken every security measure to ensure that the abducted priests regain their freedom.
It would be recalled that Frs. Ogigbah and Chochos were kidnapped in front of Michael and Cecilia Ibru University, Agbarha-Otor near Ughelli last Saturday.
Rev. Fr. Chochos, who works and lives in Ibadan, Oyo State, was in Delta to visit his friend, Fr Ogigbah, at Agbarha-Otor, the hometown of the famous Ibru family.