Men of the Nigeria Police Force have rescued a pastor, Nicodemus Ude of the Nigeria Reformed Church Edufu-Egbu, Ishieke in the Ebonyi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
According to information gathered, Ude was initially kidnapped and eventually let go by his captives following a distress call to members of the public by his assistant, who was with him at the time of the incident to block the road the kidnappers intend using to exit the area with their victim.
However, a statement by the Ebony State Police Command spokesperson, SP Onome Onovwakpoyeya, the kidnappers were intercepted along Ndofia Ishieke and Edufu-Egbu Ishieke, in Ebonyi where they abandoned the victim and took to their heels while exchanging gunshots with the police to pave way for their escape.
Onovwakpoyeya said that the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Faleye Olaleye mobilised his teams and the Divisional Police Officer of Ebonyi Division to cordon off and barricade marked out areas upon receiving the message that a clergy had been kidnapped.
He said that the kidnappers were overpowered by the fire power of the police which led to one of them being neutralised and the arrest of two other principal suspects.
Items recovered from the suspects include two AK-47 and one rifle as well as two vehicles including that of the victim.