The Chancellor of the Catholic Diocese of Ekwulobia, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, Rev. Fr. Lawrence Nwankwo, has narrated in detail his 44-minute ordeal in the hands of kidnappers.
He gave the account recently when he invited friends and members of the local community to a Thanksgiving Mass held in his honour at his hometown, Igweakpu village, Ndiowu, in Orumba North Local Government Area of the state.
The Mass was presided over by His Eminence, Peter Ebere Cardinal Okpaleke, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ekwulobia.
Recounting the incident, which occurred at the Ekwulobia roundabout on July 9, 2025, Fr. Nwankwo said the kidnapping lasted from 7:30 a.m. to 8:14 a.m. while he was on his way to Awka, the state capital.
“I was heading to Awka. When I got to the roundabout, the traffic light was red, so I stopped to wait for it to turn green. Suddenly, there were gunshots in all directions,”
“I saw armed men shooting from the Nanka Road towards the roundabout. I also noticed a lady lying on the road divider on the way towards Isuofia. I suspected she had been hit by a bullet.
“There were also gunshots coming from the Oko axis. I initially exited my vehicle but quickly re-entered it because I had just driven in from the Aguata direction, and I was unsure whether running back would be safe.”he recalled.
Fr. Nwankwo said he was seated in the back seat on the passenger side when one of the gunmen, wearing a wig and a hood, opened the door and ordered him to come down.
“He commanded me to hand over the car key and enter the trunk. I obeyed. He then started the car, pressed the brakes forcefully, and said, ‘We will go with this!’ He left the engine running with the driver’s door open, probably to facilitate a quick escape.” he added.
According to him, he was completely helpless and painfully aware that he might soon be taken to a kidnappers’ den.
He added that the gunmen continued shooting intermittently, and at intervals he heard them calling for “another magazine,” apparently to reload their weapons.
“At some point, I heard someone ask, ‘Who is that coming?’ Immediately, the gunshots increased in both number and intensity, and the sound of the weapons changed. I also heard an order: ‘Don’t shoot from behind!’ It was only after the incident that I learned that the Joint Intervention Force had arrived and engaged the gunmen.” the Priest stated.
While still trapped in the trunk, Fr. Nwankwo said he was surprised by the calmness and clarity of mind he experienced,When a bullet struck his toe, he instinctively noted the time—7:48 a.m.
“Having commended myself into God’s hands, I lay there waiting, not knowing if, when, or where another bullet might strike,”
“Thanks be to God that no other bullet hit me. I am convinced that God intervened and saved my life.”he said.
He disclosed that the vehicle sustained 19 bullet impacts.
“It was not merely riddled with bullets; it was deliberately and systematically shot at to neutralize any perceived threat. Even the spare tyre beneath the trunk, where I was lying, was hit. The passenger seat where I had initially hidden before being ordered into the trunk was completely shattered by bullets.
“It was evident that God used that particular gunman to move me to a safer part of the vehicle. Even in the trunk, God provided extra protection. Imagine that during a 44-minute ordeal, despite my entire body being exposed, I was hit only on the toe—not even the big toe, but the middle toe, one of the least life-threatening places.”Fr. Nwankwo stated.
He described the injury as a sign of remembrance.
“For me, God allowed it as a mark so that I would never forget His wondrous work that day. Had I not sustained any injury, the story might sound unbelievable to many.” he stated.
Fr. Nwankwo further stated that God used different people to deliver him.
“God used the young man who ordered me into the trunk to place me in relative safety. God also used the officers of the Joint Intervention Force who courageously confronted and dislodged the gunmen. If they had not arrived when they did, my ordeal might have continued in the kidnappers’ den, with untold trauma for my colleagues, friends, and family. God came out strong and delivered me.” he added.
Explaining how he eventually emerged from the trunk, Fr. Nwankwo said that after some time the gunshots subsided, he then began to hear voices approaching.
“I started seeing the heads of people around the vehicle. I raised my head and knocked on the trunk window. A young boy noticed me and opened it,” he said.
He explained that he jumped out, picked up his phone, and immediately informed his colleagues that he was alive.
“They had been calling me continuously after hearing that I was in danger,” he added.
According to him, his phone recorded the time of his call as 8:14 a.m., which enabled him to calculate the exact duration of the ordeal—from 7:30 a.m. to 8:14 a.m.
He said he was taken to St. Patrick’s Mission Hospital, Ekwulobia, where the injured toe was later amputated.
“In thanksgiving to God, we invited friends and members of the community to rejoice with us and thank God for sparing my life,” he added.
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