Uche Odoputa revisits father’s kidnap, death in 2022

Nollywood actor Uche Odoputa has spoken about the emotional and physical toll of losing his father, Kenneth Odoputa, to kidnappers in Imo State in 2022.

The actor, in a statement on Tuesday, recounted how his family paid ransom to secure his father’s release, only for him and his friend, Raphael Ojukwu, to be killed by their abductors.

Reflecting on the experience, Odoputa said the phrase “may Nigeria never happen to you” had taken on a painful meaning for his family.

“There’s a saying – may Nigeria never happen to you. For my family, those words carry a pain that is difficult to explain. A few years ago, my father was visiting his best friend in the eastern Nigeria when they were both kidnapped.

“At that time, I spoke publicly because we were searching for him. We were praying, pleading and hoping that he would come home. Our family paid the ransom yet my father and his friend were killed by their abductors,” he said.

He said the loss had continued to affect his family, particularly his mother, who has had to live without her husband, while he and his siblings struggle with the absence of their father.

“Behind those words are years of grief. Years of watching my mother live with the absence of her husband. While my siblings and I try to carry the loss of our father. You have seen me smiling, encouraging others. Alongside all that, I have been grieving.

“This experience affected my health and my well-being. My faith in God has sustained me and I am grateful to still be here. But the pain has been real,” he added.

Odoputa’s father and Ojukwu were abducted in May 2022 while visiting their community in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State.

The actor had raised the alarm on social media on May 17, 2022, appealing to colleagues, friends and members of the public to pray for their safe return.

In a video shared days later, he disclosed that the two men had spent three weeks in captivity without the family establishing contact with them.

He also appealed for their release in subsequent posts, expressing concern over the security situation in Imo State.

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