Stephen Adegbite, chairman of the Lagos chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), says N100 million was paid as ransom to secure the release of Samuel Kanu, prelate of the Methodist Church Nigeria (MCN).
The prelate was kidnapped by gunmen on Sunday afternoon along the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway in Umunneochi LGA of Abia state.
He was kidnapped alongside Dennis Mark, the bishop of Owerri, and another cleric.
The clerics, however, regained his freedom on Monday.
Speaking with journalists in Lagos, Adegbite, who is also bishop of the diocese of Ikeja, MCN, said members of the church rallied round to contribute the ransom.
“We did everything humanly possible, and God supported us. We appealed to good Methodist people and they gave us the money so that the prelate will not sleep in the bush for the second night,” he said.
“He had no medication with him. They didn’t allow him to eat anything for more than 12, 14 hours. He would have died in the forest. What are we going to say to the world? That we couldn’t pay the N100 million?
“He is going to retire very soon and that is why we were very passionate. We called on ministers, bishops and we started the donation.
“To the glory of God, the life of the prelate, Dr. Samuel Chukwuemeka Kanu-Uche, is bigger than N100 million.
“But that money we gave to them is the last one they will take because it is blood money, and God will descend on them and they will know that what they have done, they won’t do it anymore by the grace of God.”
