The release comes weeks after the Anglican Diocese of Kaduna confirmed the death of Venerable Achi while in the custody of his abductors.
The wife and daughter of late Anglican priest, Venerable Edwin Achi, abducted alongside him in Kaduna State, have reportedly regained their freedom after spending more than two months in captivity.
The development was confirmed on Thursday by FS Yusuf, who announced the release in a brief post.
“Late Venerable Edwin Achi’s family (wife and daughter) has been released by kidnappers. God. I’m so happy,” Yusuf said.
The release comes weeks after the Anglican Diocese of Kaduna confirmed the death of Venerable Achi while in the custody of his abductors.
SaharaReporters had exclusively reported the abduction of the priest and his wife, Sarah Achi, in late October 2025 from their residence in the Nissi community of Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, an incident that received little attention from mainstream media in the state.
Late Venerable Edwin Achi’s family has been released by Kidnappers.
God. I’m so happy 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/ZezPD6CzvW
— FS YUSUF (@FSYusuff) January 16, 2026
The Diocese later announced the priest’s death in a statement signed by the Bishop of Kaduna Diocese, Most Revd Timothy Yahaya.
“With a heavy heart and deep sorrow, the Diocese of Kaduna, Anglican Communion, announces the passing unto glory of Venerable Edwin Achi,” the statement read in part.
“Venerable Edwin, who was kidnapped alongside his wife on 28th October, has been confirmed dead.
“His transition is a painful loss to the entire Diocese, the clergy, the Church family, and all who were blessed by his faithful ministry, humble spirit, and unwavering devotion to the service of God.
“We continue to pray for the release of his wife and daughter, who are still in the hands of the kidnappers.”
Following the confirmation of his death, the Diocese announced the cancellation of a planned programme in honour of the priest, saying the church had been thrown into deep mourning.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported on Wednesday night that Venerable Achi, the Priest-in-Charge of Ebenezer Anglican Church, Ungwan Maijero, Kaduna, died while in captivity, according to sources familiar with the incident.
Before his death, the kidnappers were said to have demanded a ransom of N600 million and sent images of the priest and his wife to relatives as proof they were alive.
The images, SaharaReporters gathered, showed the captives in distress alongside other abducted persons.
The circumstances surrounding the release of Achi’s family and whether any ransom was paid remain unclear as of the time of filing this report.