Catholic Priest Kidnapped In Anambra Regains Freedom
<div><img width="300" height="169" src="https://www.naijanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Nigeria-Police-Logo-300x169.webp" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="Catholic Priest Kidnapped In Anambra Regains Freedom" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" srcset="https://www.naijanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Nigeria-Police-Logo-300x169.webp 300w, https://www.naijanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Nigeria-Police-Logo.webp 700w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></div>
<p>The Anambra State Command of the Nigeria Police Force has successfully rescued a Catholic priest who was abducted on Sunday morning within the state. Naija News understands that Rev. Father Stephen Echezona was freed by a collaborative effort involving police, military personnel, civil defence, and the Anambra Vigilante Services (AVG) in Ichida, located in the […]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.naijanews.com/2025/03/24/catholic-priest-kidnapped-in-anambra-regains-freedom/">Catholic Priest Kidnapped In Anambra Regains Freedom</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.naijanews.com">Naija News</a>.</p>
The Anambra State Command of the Nigeria Police Force has successfully rescued a Catholic priest who was abducted on Sunday morning within the state.
Naija News understands that Rev. Father Stephen Echezona was freed by a collaborative effort involving police, military personnel, civil defence, and the Anambra Vigilante Services (AVG) in Ichida, located in the Ihiala Local Government Area.
In a statement released on Monday morning, the spokesperson for the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the rescue, stating that the priest was taken from a petrol station in Ichida by armed individuals in a white Lexus SUV that lacked a license plate.
Ikenga noted that the assailants abandoned the vehicle and fled with Rev. Father Echezona when they attempted to escape due to the overwhelming firepower of the joint security forces.
The operatives also recovered the abandoned white Lexus.
He explained that a coordinated pursuit was initiated, with security checkpoints and personnel across the state being notified, which resulted in the criminals leaving the priest in Ihiala and retreating into a nearby forest.
Ikenga added that the joint security team has secured the area in Ihiala and is actively working to capture the armed criminals and recover the Toyota Highlander belonging to Rev. Father Echezona.
<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/quebec-premier-francois-legault-gives-a-speech.jpg?id=60352592&width=1200&height=600&coordinates=0%2C39%2C0%2C39"/><br/><br/><p><a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tag/francois-legault" target="_blank">François Legault</a> may be the premier of Quebec, but a new poll suggests he's viewed more favourably outside the province than within it.</p><p>According to <a href="https://www.pollara.com/doug-ford-is-best-known-premier-across-canada/" target="_blank">fresh polling by Pollara Strategic Insights</a>, Legault has a +1 net impression score outside Quebec, compared to a -10 rating within his home province. This makes him one of only two premiers in Canada — alongside Ontario Premier Doug Ford — who are more popular nationally than locally.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DKYa7h5vOIL/?img_index=1" data-instgrm-version="4" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
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</blockquote><script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script><p>In Quebec, Legault's perception appears to have soured. Just 37% of Quebecers view him positively, while 47% view him negatively, giving the lowest net score of any leader in their own province at -10. That stands in stark contrast to premiers like Wab Kinew in Manitoba (+51), Susan Holt in New Brunswick (+43), and John Hogan in Newfoundland & Labrador (+42), who enjoy strong support at home.</p><p>Outside Quebec, however, Legault fares modestly better. Among non-Quebecers, 20% have a positive impression of him, versus 19% negative, resulting in a net score of +1 — a rare upside among Canadian premiers with limited national profiles. For context, Alberta's Danielle Smith is the only premier with a negative impression both inside (-5) and outside (-12) her province.</p><p>Nationally, Legault's overall net score sits at -2, due to the drag from Quebec sentiment, even as his name recognition remains relatively high at 44%, behind only Ford (79%) and Smith (50%) on the national stage.</p><p>A <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/francois-legault-quebec-survey-2025" target="_blank">recent Léger poll</a> also noted a drop in voter satisfaction, with over 60% of Quebecers saying they're dissatisfied with his government.</p><p>Legault, leader of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), has served as Quebec's premier since 2018. Barring an early provincial election, Quebecers are scheduled to return to the polls by October 5, 2026.</p><p>You can explore the entire Pollara report <a href="https://www.pollara.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Premiers-Media-Deck-May-2025-1.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><p><br/></p><p><em>Love this? Check out our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/notices/" target="_blank">MTL Blog noticeboard</a> for details on jobs, benefits, travel info and more!</em></p><p><br/></p><p><em>AI tools may have been used to support the creation or distribution of this content; however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of MTL Blog's Editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/editorial-standards" target="_blank">Editorial Standards page</a>.</em></p><p><br/></p><p><br/></p><p><br/></p><p><br/></p>