After being held hostage by armed criminals, the priest was discovered to be unharmed.
A Joint Security Team comprising the police, military, civil defense, and local vigilante groups from Ichida and Ihiala successfully rescued Rev. Father Stephen Echezona in the early hours of Sunday, March 23, 2025.
The priest was found unharmed after being held hostage by armed criminals.
According to a statement from SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Anambra State Police Command, Rev. Father Echezona was abducted from a fuel station in Ichida by Armed men in a white Lexus SUV without a license plate no.
A gunfight ensued between the assailants and the joint security forces, forcing the criminals to abandon the Lexus in an attempt to escape. However, they took the priest hostage as they fled the scene.
they took the priest hostage. Security checkpoints and operatives across the state were notified following a coordinated hot pursuit. The pressure from the security forces led the kidnappers to abandon the priest at Ihiala before escaping into a nearby bush.
The Lexus SUV that had been left behind was found by the security team, and they took over the situation in Ihiala. Efforts are ongoing to track down the fleeing suspects and recover the Toyota Highlander belonging to Rev. Echezona SP Ikenga stated, "The situation is under control, and additional updates will be provided as the investigation progresses."