Former Deputy Senate President Chief Ike Ekweremadu on Thursday recalled a harrowing experience he had in the hands of kidnappers who whisked him away at Onu-Asata, Enugu and taken to somewhere in Anambra State before he moved to Benue State before he regain freedom.
Ekweremadu, narrated that his abductors who set him free the following day, said his captors gave him N1,500 to find his way back to Enugu after dropping him somewhere at Nsukka.
He, however, did not disclose whether he paid ransom to the kidnappers or not before he was asked to go and rejoin his family.
The senator, who is now a PDP governorship aspirant relived his tale of woe on Thursday during the 60th birthday thanksgiving worship at The Cathedral of Good Shepherds, Anglican Communion, Independence Layout, Enugu.
Ekweremadu was reacting to a comment by Archbishop, Enugu Ecclesiastical Province, Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Chukwuma, who while giving the sermon during Ekweremadu’s 60th birthday Thanksgiving worship, recalled how Ekweremadu had been saved by God in time of trials and tribulations.
Ekweremadu had escaped alleged assassination attempt, armed robbers, high-power conspiracy in the Senate, among others.
“When His Lordship, Archbishop Chukwuma spoke about some of the travails I have passed through in life, he didn’t remember that I was also kidnapped at a time about the year 2000.
“I was kidnapped at Onu-Asata and was taken to Anambra. Later I was taken to Benue State where I slept with the kidnappers. The next day, they took me to Nsukka and gave me N1500 to transport myself back to Enugu.
“So throughout all these, I have trusted God. I have never known and worshipped any other God. The only God I have always known and worshipped in the God in Heaven,” he said.
Ekweremadu, added that the sad incident occurred sometime about the year 2000 when he was still serving the Enugu State Government.
He told the congregation that he was in politics to do the will of God, having earlier entered into a covenant with God.
“My mission in politics is to do the will of God. I asked God to bless me and lift me up so that I can lift others up; to give me an opportunity to contribute to the transformation of society.
“God has done His own part of that covenant and I have done my own part of the covenant. Since then, God has never looked back in blessing and protecting me.
“Throughout my being in politics, I have passed through fires. I have passed through waters but God has not let me down because He is always with me,” said Ekweremadu, who also used the occasion to announce his intention to run for the office of the Governor, Enugu state in 2013.”
