By Our Reporter
The retired Archbishop of the Anglican Communion in Anambra State, Most Rev. Godwin Okpala, has opened up about his harrowing 27-day captivity, describing the experience as akin to “seeing hell.” Okpala was abducted alongside his driver on December 6, 2024, and was released on January 3, 2025.
Speaking from his residence in Nnewi on Thursday during a visit by former Anambra State Governor and 2023 Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, Okpala recounted the unimaginable conditions he endured in the kidnappers’ den.
“I was deprived of basic hygiene. I didn’t bathe, brush my teeth, or wear anything other than my pants throughout my captivity,” he revealed. “The kidnappers gave me leftover food and one meal a day, either rice or garri, which had been given to their workers. They provided water from an unknown source.”
The Archbishop expressed gratitude for his release, thanking God and those who supported efforts to secure his freedom. He vividly recalled the brutal treatment he received during his captivity: “Those 27 days were like hell. They treated us like trash, kicking us around without care. They held us in a dense forest, and despite knowing I was a Bishop, they showed no mercy. They stripped me of my cassock, leaving me in just shorts, a shirt, and my collar.”
Despite his traumatic experience, Okpala expressed deep appreciation for Obi’s visit, noting that he was the first person to visit him since his release. “Since returning from the kidnappers’ den, no one else has come to see me. Obi’s visit shows the humanity within him. I’m not the first person he has reached out to in this way. I want to thank Peter Obi for his kindness after my ordeal.”
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Nnewi Catholic Diocese laid to rest three priests, including Rev. Fr. Tobias Okonkwo, who was tragically murdered on Boxing Day by gunmen in Ihiala. Until his death, Fr. Okonkwo was the manager of the Schools of Nursing, Midwifery, and Medical Laboratory at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Ihiala.