The Nigerian seminarian Kelvin Ochai has managed to escape from his kidnappers and return safe and sound after spending more than two weeks in captivity. Ochai had been abducted on July 29 at the residence of the bishop of Otukpo, located in Benue State, in central Nigeria.
The diocese confirmed his return in a statement released on August 16 and reported by ACI Africa. According to the diocesan chancellor, Father Joseph Aboyi Itodo, the seminarian managed to flee from his captors and reach Aliade, a town located in the Gwer East administrative area.
He managed to reach a parish after escaping
Once in Aliade, Ochai was located and later taken to his home. The diocese has stated that he is unharmed.
After escaping, the seminarian was welcomed at the parish of Saints Peter and Paul in Aliade, where priests and parishioners provided him with accommodation for the night.
The bishop of Otukpo, Monsignor Michael Ekwoyi Apochi, thanked the help given to the young man after his escape, as well as the prayers of the faithful during the weeks he remained kidnapped.
The diocese also expressed its gratitude to the Nigeria Police for the attention provided to Ochai after regaining his freedom.
Kidnapped at the bishop’s residence
The kidnapping took place on Wednesday, July 29, at the episcopal residence located in Asa III, in Otukpo. Two days later, the diocese made the abduction public and requested prayers for the seminarian’s release.
At that time, no details were provided about the circumstances of the kidnapping, nor was it reported that the captors had made contact with the diocese.
Now that the escape is known, the chancellor has asked for continued prayers for people who remain in the hands of criminal groups in different parts of the country.
«We also commend all those who are still in the hideouts of the kidnappers throughout the country, so that the good God may grant them a quick and safe release,» the priest stated.
The diocese has also requested prayers for an end to insecurity and for the restoration of peace and stability in Nigeria.
Kidnappings continue to affect the Church in Nigeria
Ochai’s case is part of a security problem that has affected different regions of Nigeria for years and has also reached priests, seminarians, and Christian communities.
On August 4, the president of the Union of Priests of West Africa, Father Peter Alpha Konteh, denounced attacks against churches and members of the clergy and recalled another recent kidnapping of a seminarian and several faithful in a Catholic church in Enugu State.
The apostolic nuncio in Nigeria, Monsignor Michael Francis Crotty, also referred in July to the «plague of kidnappings» affecting the country and described these crimes as a serious evil that leaves deep consequences on victims and their families.
Violence in Nigeria has different sources and actors. The jihadist insurgency of Boko Haram and other extremist groups in the north and northeast is joined by gangs dedicated to kidnapping and extortion, as well as episodes of violence related to armed groups in other parts of the country.
Following Ochai’s return, the diocese of Otukpo has focused its statement on thanking his release and maintaining the request for prayers for those who remain kidnapped.