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Breaking: N100 Million Ransom: Nigerian Army to investigate Methodist prelate’s claims….
The Nigerian Army on Wednesday sympathised with Methodist Church Prelate Samuel Kanu over his abduction by armed attackers last weekend — but raised questions about claims that soldiers of Fulani extraction were involved in the crime.
“While the Nigerian Army expressed concern and sympathy for the unfortunate kidnap of the Methodist Prelate, the insinuation that troops are complicit in the kidnapping incident of Methodist Prelate in Abia State recently is not premised on any findings of investigations and therefore should not be swallowed hook line and sinker,” army spokesman Onyema Nwachukwu said in a statement to Peoples Gazette Wednesday afternoon.
Mr Kanu, the bishop of Owerri, Rt. Rev. Dennis Mark and the prelate’s chaplain were kidnapped on Sunday in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia. They were released on Monday.
After their release, Mr Kanu alleged that some soldiers from Fulani extraction were associated with the gang, which had demanded N150 million ransom but soon settled for N100 million after negotiation and threats.
“Where they are situated, there were soldiers all from Fulani extraction around the area at Nnoma junction, and these boys were going behind them,” the Methodist prelate claimed during a press conference at Methodist Church, Yaba, Lagos, on Tuesday.
However, Mr Nwachukwu, a brigadier-general, told The Gazette that military authorities would commence an investigation into the matter.
Questions to be answered during the investigation would include whether or not the army was informed prior to the disbursement of the ransom to kidnappers. The ransom was paid in less than 24 hours.
Mr Kanu’s claims that soldiers were stationed near the point of abduction would also be probed.
