Nigerian catholic priest

Finally, the catholic bishop conference has release a report on the issue of a Catholic Priest Arrested for Kidnapping in Aba. The arrested catholic priest who is in charge St. Michael's Catholic Church Umueze Mgboko in Obingwa L.G.A. in that area was apprehended when the military stormed the community to arrest one of the kingpins of kidnapping simply known as SUSU whose camp is located in Obingwa. You can read the full story here

here is the release

In the early hours of Sunday, 10th October 2010, Nigeria soldiers stormed Umuezi in Obi Ngwa L.G.A of Abia State to fish out some of the kidnappers that have been terrorizing the State. In their operation, they picked up people they suspected might be involved in the criminal activities. Since St. Michael's Catholic Church Umuezi is located in the neighbourhood where some of the kidnappers operated, Rev. Fr. Bonaventure Akwarandu, the parish priest, became a suspect. This was because the soldiers could not imagine how he could freely live and work in a lions' den without being a victim. Allegations and insinuations were made against him. Consequently, he was detained for thorough investigation.
During the exercise the Church decided to be quiet on the issue to allow security agents conduct an unbiased investigation. On the contrary, while the process was still on, some media houses hurried to publish inflammatory statements on the matter. From all indications even as the investigation is still subsisting the truth has emerged that so far nothing incriminating has been found against Fr. Akwarandu.
Without any fear of contradiction, I wish to let the public know that:
* Fr. Akwarandu does not know any of the kidnappers nor had any business with them.
* It is not true that the kidnappers bought a vehicle for him. His private vehicle was bought in 2008 to mark the tenth anniversary of his priestly ordination. This took place before he was posted to Umuezi on 1st October 2009,
* Fr. Akwarandu had on many occasions informed me (the Bishop) that the Presbytery in Umuezi had become very dangerous as a result of the bullets frequently shot into the Church premises by the kidnappers. As a follow up to his reports, he picked 5 spent empty shells bullets from his compound, intending to show them to me as proof of the point he had been making. These were the spent bullets in the pigeonhole of his vehicle, which he himself showed the soldiers.
* The water reticulation from the Mission borehole, alleged to have been connected to supply water to the kidnappers' camp, was done in 2002 to provide water to the poor in Umuezi. This charitable endeavour by the Parish was in place before Fr. Akwarandu was posted to the Parish in 2009.
* The two alleged kidnappers, said to have been quartered in the Church, were those who ran into the Church for refuge in their attempt that Sunday morning to escape from the soldiers who were after them.
* Fr. Akwarandu should not have been expected to act as an informant when security agents and other government agencies already knew of the existence of the camp in Umuezi and when there was no guarantee that anyone who dared to play such a role would not be victimized. Besides a priest's role is to denounce sin and not the sinner.
* The allegations that 5 AK 47 riffles and 3 safes belonging to the kidnappers were found in the Father's House in Umuezi are blatant lies, fabricated by some media practitioners to garnish their defamatory reports.
* It is on record that a few days before the military raid (5th October, 2010) men of the NSCDC and policemen in company of members of the State Amnesty Committee came to Umuezi community where they interacted with the kidnappers and collected their surrendered arms/ammunitions.
* If as it were, Fr. Akwarandu's only offence was remaining in his parish as a soldier of Christ, what of the parents of the kidnappers and their traditional rulers.
* It is a well known fact that Priests as soldiers of Christ are meant to serve the people of God whether alive or dead and are not supposed to leave their duty posts as a result of any crisis.
* In as much as the Church respects whatever the government does to bring sanity to the state the Church takes an exception to the desecration of the Blessed Sacrament and other damages done to the church. No offence should warrant the desecration of the tabernacle by anybody.
* It is crystal clear that the unfounded allegations publicized by some newspapers, television, radio and the internet have caused untold embarrassment and damage to Fr. Akwarandu and the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Aba, Nigeria and indeed world-wide. In the face of such a serious slander and an unwarranted libel, Fr. Akwarandu and Catholics are justifiably enraged and highly provoked to react.
However, in order not to scuttle the efforts of government to rid Abia State of the menace of kidnapping, I earnestly appeal to Fr. Akwarandu and all Catholics to remain calm and to forgive in the footstep of Christ, who while hanging on the cross prayed: “Father forgive them for they know not what they do” (Lk 23:34).
I also urge all media houses that have caused us so much pain and damage by their calumny to investigate allegations before reporting in order to avoid unnecessary sensationalism. In the same vein, I also urge them to right the wrong by putting the records straight and in so doing bring this ugly matter to rest.
Given at the Chancery on this 6th Day of November, in the year of the Lord 2010.
+Vincent Valentine Ezeonyia, C.S.Sp
Catholic Bishop of Aba

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