After eight days of captivity, Father Valentin Mbaibarem, parish priest of the Church of Saint John the Baptist in Madingring, kidnapped on May 7 along with five other people on the road between Guidjiba and Tcholliré has been released.

 “Father Mbaibarem was released on the night of May 15-16,” Archbishop Faustin Ambassa Ndjodo of Garoua told Fides. “He is in good physical condition. We will see if he needs psychological assistance in the coming days,” he added. “It was a difficult experience,” the Archbishop continued. “Father Mbaibarem was the last of the six hostages released by the kidnappers.

Four were released in the previous days, while a fifth died while still in the captors’ hands”  “This last person, a teacher, had health problems. The kidnappers forced the hostages to march through the forest. Since he could not keep up, they beat him to force him to walk. In the end, unfortunately, his body could not cope with this situation.”

 A possible ransom demand for the priest had been reported in the local press. “As an archdiocese, we did not pay any amount for the release of our priest. I do not know if others have done so,” specified Bishop Ambassa Ndjodo.

In the statement from the Archdiocese of Garoua announcing the release of Father Mbaibarem, the archbishop thanks “all the people who prayed for the priest’s release” and invokes the Lord’s blessing on those who contributed to achieving this result.

Source: Agenzia Fides