Abducted Catholic Priest Regains Freedom in Niger

* Church pays N10m ramsom

Laleye Dipo in Minna

A Catholic priest, Rev. Leo Raphael Ozigi, who was abducted by terrorists almost three weeks ago, has been set free.
Ozigi, according to THISDAY findings, was released Friday night.
It was gathered that the clergyman was released after the payment of N10 million by the Catholic Church in Minna.
THISDAY learnt that a high powered delegation was in Birningwari forest in  Kaduna State to pay the ransom to the bandits Friday.
The team, according to a reliable source, left Minna, the Niger State capital, at about 11am on Friday with the ransom packed in a large envelope which was delivered to the bandits at an appointed spot after which the contact person asked the team to go towards Zaria to pick the Reverend father.
Ozigi, it was learnt, trekked several kilometres before he could team up with members of the church.
“He is very sick; he could hardly walk,” a member of the team, who went to facilitate the clergyman’s release, said.
Asked about the whereabouts of the clergyman, the source said: “He is somewhere receiving treatment, he has to go for physiotherapy because he couldn’t walk.”
The source confirmed that ransom was paid, but “I don’t know how much, only Baba (Bishop) knows the amount”.
Efforts to get the Catholic Archbishop of Minna Diocese, Martins Uzougwu, was abortive as his cell phone was switched off.
Ozigi was kidnapped by terrorists along the Minna-Sarkinpawa road by gunmen when he was returning from a church programme about three Sundays ago.
He was said to have been kept in solitary confinement by his abductors who fed him differently from other victims.