- Pastor Chris Okafor of Grace Nation International recounted his experience of being abducted in 2012, which lasted 58 days.
- He and his personal assistant were captured after a crusade in Oka and endured harsh captivity before being released. Okafor called the experience life-threatening but attributed his survival to divine intervention.
Grace Nation International founder Pastor Chris Okafor spoke with his personal assistant about the harrowing 2012 abduction, saying it was a life-threatening ordeal that he survived through divine intervention.
Okafor explained at a press conference on Thursday that the incident followed a crusade in Awka, Anambra State, following a series of evangelical crusades across Nigeria. “After several days of intense travel and ministry activities, we planned to leave Awka for Benin City, spend the night praying, and then travel to Lagos in time for Sunday services,” he explain.
He recalled that shortly after leaving the hotel, their vehicle was attacked. “I was exhausted and sleeping when suddenly gunfire rang out and the vehicle was in chaos,” he said. Despite urging the driver to keep driving, the car eventually lost control and rolled into a ditch under heavy gunfire.
Okafor pointed to the eerie coincidence that his two older brothers died at the same age he was, which heightened his fears. Armed men seized him and his personal assistant, blindfolded them and took them to an undisclosed location, leaving behind a policeman and driver.
While in captivity, ransoms were raised and paid, but their release was delayed. “We were held in poor conditions along with several other prisoners and were constantly restricted.” he said. He also claimed that the kidnappers moved them into the trunk of a car while attacking a police station, seizing weapons and causing casualties. Some of the kidnappers later reported strange encounters, urging them to release him.
Okafor was finally released after 58 days and returned to his village in Anambra State amid rumors of his death. “It was reported that my mother fainted at the sight of me,” he said. He was very weak and was immediately taken to the hospital. However, his personal assistant was held for several more days until an additional ransom was paid.
Okafor said the ordeal disrupted church activities, scattered the congregation and made rebuilding the ministry difficult. He attributes his recovery to faith and perseverance.
Looking back on this experience, he said: “This ministry and the church we see today are testimonies of grace. I faced death, but God kept me alive. “ He added that surviving the ordeal marked a turning point in his life and family history, breaking the cycle of early death in his family.
