Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
What began as a quiet Sunday morning of worship at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Inoyi‑Affa, Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State, descended into a week‑long nightmare of terror, starvation and unimaginable cruelty for two of its worshippers. Seminarian Lawrence Chidera Igbo and 70‑year‑old church member Emmanuel Onwudi, who were abducted on August 2, 2026, have finally broken their silence, recounting the harrowing seven days they spent in captivity, forced to trek through forests and mountains without food or water, and beaten repeatedly with machetes, sticks and stones.
Lawrence, who had accompanied his parish priest to assist at an outstation Mass, recalled the moment the attack began. “I got there, but the church members were not yet prepared for the service, so I was waiting for them,” he told journalists after regaining his freedom. He noticed a man moving close to the bush surrounding the church but dismissed him as an ordinary passer‑by. “After some time, I decided to return to the altar area to give them more time to prepare. Before I knew it, I heard somebody shouting, ‘Hey, you! You! We are looking for you.’ When I turned back, I saw men carrying guns. When I wanted to run, I discovered they had already surrounded the church. There was no way to escape, so I surrendered.”
The armed men immediately marched him into the bush, beginning what would become a week‑long nightmare. “They took me into the bush. We trekked from around 9 a.m. until about 6 p.m. We were wandering through the forest. When they realised they couldn’t cross the Nsukka‑Enugu Expressway during the day, they kept us hidden until it became dark.” When darkness fell, they crossed the road and were taken up a mountain. “We kept wandering from one place to another and we didn’t know where they were taking us.” The kidnappers constantly ordered the captives to sit facing the ground whenever they stopped. “They would just put us in one place and tell us, ‘Sit down, face the ground.’ We kept moving until the night.” They eventually reached the hideout around 3 a.m. or 4 a.m., where they remained for the duration of their ordeal. “During those seven days, they kept beating us. They used machetes, stones and sticks on us. What we went through during those seven days was terrible. They kept threatening us that if we made any mistake, they would shoot us.”
For 70‑year‑old Emmanuel Onwudi, the attack caused panic among worshippers as gunmen stormed the church and people attempted to escape. Onwudi said one of the attackers stopped him as he tried to leave and ordered him to follow them into the bush. The captives went without food and water for about three days. According to him, the abductors only provided water after negotiations over a ransom had begun. He said the kidnappers later provided rice and beans, but their treatment became increasingly violent as negotiations continued. Onwudi claimed that the initial ransom demand of ₦11 million was eventually reduced to ₦3.5 million, after which the captors allegedly became more aggressive and beat the victims regularly. The captives were eventually released after the ransom was raised and paid.
Onwudi also disclosed that three people were initially taken from the church — a seminarian, a catechist and himself. However, the catechist reportedly became too ill to continue the forced journey, prompting the kidnappers to abandon him while taking Lawrence and Onwudi deeper into the forest. The victims said they were later taken to hospital by relatives for medical attention because of injuries sustained during their captivity. Lawrence also said he later learnt that security forces had arrested one of the suspected kidnappers.
The rescue operation, which followed reports of the abduction and the deployment of ransom as a bait, was conducted jointly by operatives of the Department of State Services, the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force, the Enugu State Forest Guard and other security agencies. Governor Peter Mbah, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, confirmed that the security forces successfully apprehended three suspects and neutralised one other in a gun duel. The operation also led to the recovery of four AK‑47 rifles, seven magazines and 133 rounds of ammunition from the hideouts of the kidnapping syndicate. The governor also revealed that the ransom used as part of the strategy to secure the victims’ release was fully recovered.
Mbah praised the security forces for their gallantry and warned that Enugu State would remain hostile to criminals. “We made it very clear that if criminality becomes your venture, Enugu State is not the location to do that business; that we will pursue you, we will make sure we bring you to justice,” he said. He also warned locals who collude with criminal elements, vowing to track them down and prosecute them as part of the syndicate.
The abduction has renewed concerns about insecurity and kidnapping in parts of Enugu State and the wider South‑East. The victims’ accounts have intensified calls for stronger security around places of worship and vulnerable communities, particularly in areas where criminal gangs operate. For Lawrence and Onwudi, the scars of their seven‑day ordeal — both physical and psychological — will take far longer to heal than the time they spent in captivity.
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