How I Survived 58 Days in Anambra Kidnappers’ Captivity, Pastor Chris Okafor Says

Chris Okafor, founder of Grace Nation International, has shared his account of being abducted alongside his personal assistant in Anambra State in 2012, describing the 58 days in captivity as “a trial of faith and endurance.”

Speaking at a press conference at his Lagos church headquarters on Thursday, Okafor attributed his survival to divine intervention.

“We had just concluded a crusade in Awka. Our plan was to travel to Benin City for prayers and then return to Lagos for church service,” he explained. “I had been asleep in the vehicle when gunmen opened fire. The driver lost control, and the car somersaulted into a ditch.”

Okafor recounted moments of fear and reflection as the vehicle was attacked. “I was the sixth child in my family. My first two brothers died at the same age I was then, and I wondered if this was how my life would end,” he said.

He and his assistant were seized, blindfolded, and forced into the boot of the kidnappers’ SUV. “They took us to an unknown location. About 16 of us were held together in one room, sleeping on the bare floor, with only a bucket for sanitation,” Okafor said.

Despite ransom payments, the kidnappers initially refused to release them. Okafor described being chained while witnessing attacks on police stations. “I saw policemen being killed,” he said. “Some kidnappers returned from abroad periodically to carry out operations.”

At one point, he said, the captors spoke of a mysterious figure dressed in white who urged them to release him. Eventually, after 58 days, Okafor was freed.

“They drove us to my village and removed the blindfold. My mother fainted when she saw me,” he recalled. “One of the kidnappers said only a powerful God could have kept me alive.”

Okafor was severely weakened and marked by beatings, and he was immediately hospitalized. His personal assistant remained in captivity for several more days until additional ransom was paid.

Reflecting on the aftermath, Okafor said, “The church congregation had dispersed during my absence. But God made a way, and today we have rebuilt this ministry.”

He added, “I faced death and survived. I’ve passed the age where my brothers died, and God has used me to break that cycle in my family.”