The Spiritual Director of Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry, Uke, Anambra State, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Obimma, widely known as Fr. Ebube Muonso, has decried the collapse of security in Anambra State.
Speaking after the release of Rev. Fr. Nonso, a priest who was abducted and held captive for a week, Fr. Obimma detailed the lengths he went to secure his colleague’s freedom.
“For a week, Father Nonso was in the hands of kidnappers. The government could not do anything. I had to use my own resources to rescue him,” Fr. Obimma said.
Fr. Nonso was kidnapped on December 17 shortly after returning to Nigeria for the Christmas holiday.
According to Fr. Obimma, he sought help from security operatives outside Anambra to locate the kidnappers. Using tracking technology, the operatives provided the kidnappers’ precise location.
However, when Fr. Obimma shared the information with local security forces, he faced resistance. “They asked me, ‘What do you want us to do with it?’ They claimed they don’t usually go into forests,” he said.
Fr. Obimma said he mobilized his team to act before the police realized he was serious.
“I told the Chief Security of Adoration to assemble men with cutlasses and guns, and that I would lead the operation myself. Only when they realized I was serious did the police agree to intervene — but not without logistics. I had to send them N1 million,” he revealed.
Fr. Obimma also questioned the state government’s inability to utilize existing security resources.
“I called former Governor Willie Obiano and asked about the trackers he bought during his tenure. He said they are still there. So why weren’t they being used?”
He noted that despite having precise data from the trackers, the kidnappers operated with impunity.
“Throughout the week, they never turned off their phones because they knew there was no functioning security,” Fr. Obimma lamented.
Fr. Nonso, visibly emotional after his release, shared his ordeal alongside a businessman who was also abducted.
Fr. Obimma criticised the government’s failure to protect its citizens.
“We live in a state where individuals are funding security operations. Only God will continue to protect His people,” he concluded.
