The Anambra State Police Command has successfully rescued Reverend Father Stephen Echezona, who was kidnapped by armed men at a petrol station in Ichida, Anaocha Local Government Area.
The attackers, using a white Lexus SUV without a number plate, took the priest in his own vehicle.
However, security forces quickly responded, engaging the kidnappers in a gunfight. Overpowered, the criminals abandoned their Lexus SUV and fled with the priest.
According to the police spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, a joint security team—including the police, military, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and local vigilantes—managed to secure the priest’s release in the early hours of March 23, 2025, in Ihiala. Thankfully, he was unharmed.
The kidnappers, unable to escape due to security checkpoints, eventually abandoned Father Echezona and fled into the bush.
The police have now taken over the scene in Ihiala and are working to locate and arrest the suspects while also attempting to recover the priest’s stolen Toyota Highlander.
Further updates on the case will be provided as investigations continue.
