“But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.” — Isaiah 49:
WHEN the news filtered into several locations of the Watchman Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement that the kidnappped son of Bernard Dikeocha has been recovered from the horrible men that had held him hostage, jubilations were high and boundless.
The boy was the only child of the twelve-year old marriage of Pastor Dikeocha, and the kidnappers were demanding a ransome of N4 million before they could let the boy go. But soon after, the case was brought to the attention of the General Overseer of the Watchman, Pastor A.C. Ohanebo, while he was meeting with the Diocesan pastors. Then prayers and declarations were made, and not long after, the kidnappers were arrested and the boy restored to his parents. Dikeocha belongs to the Eziukwu Parish of the Watchman, Aba Diocese. His testimony:
“On January 27, 2005, my ten-year old son, Precious Dikeo-cha, the only child of my 12 years marriage, was coming home from school when some unknown persons in a Mercedes Benz car accosted him and took him away.
These kidnappers then got my phone number from my son and called me, demanding that I should give them the sum of N4million in order for them to release my son, or they will either sell him or kill him. I posted to them N50,000 worth of MTN recharge cards, as they requested but they continued demanding for N4 million from me.
I reported the matter to our Church and the Watchmen took over the matter and began to fast and pray on it.
The man of God, the General Overseer of this Movement, Pastor A.C. Ohanebo, and the Diocesan Pastors meeting with him at the Rock Chapel of Watchman at LOGISS, Awo Omamma, Imo State made serious prayers on this matter. In fact, the man of God decreed that God will make those people “go naked” before the world, and that the child must be set free.
“Then on April 25 when they called my line again to demand for money, I told them pointedly that I had no money and that God would save my child from their hands. When I said that, they replied that there is no prayer of any man of God capable of saving my child from their hands. Well, I saw this as a challenge thrown at God, and that He would surely respond accor-dingly.
One week later, during our Diocesan Combined Fellowship for the month of May, our Diocesan Pastor minis-tered on the topic: “Who will help the Lord?” I then took the challenge to maintain the standard of true Christian life as stressed by that message.
“Then the next day, May 2, my phone rang and the caller asked if I was Bernard? I said yes. He asked if I was looking for anything and I said yes, that I was looking for my son who had been kidnapped for over three months then.The person went on to inform me to quickly go down to Owa- aza near Obehie village, that there were some people who were offering a boy for sale and that they were planning to relocate to another village because people around were beginning to suspect their movements.
I then told my Diocesan Pastor, Pastor Maduafor Theophilus, who advised me to go with the police. So, they mobilised their men, surrounded the village and arrested the kidnappers after which my son was released to me.
So on that day, May 2, 2005, after three months and six days, my son, Precious, came back home by the Mighty Hand of the God of Watchman, even the God of Pastor A. C. Ohanebo. To Him be all the glory, and I will serve Him all the days of my life.” Indeed, the kidnappers were “made naked” before the world as they were exposed to every eye in that area, thus confirming that God indeed honoured the decree of His servant.
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