According to a report published by Fides Agency a total of 145 priests were kidnapped and 11 killed in Nigeria between 2015 and 2025, marking a constant increase in ransom-related kidnappings that also affect other communities.
By Lisa Zengarini
The past decade the Catholic Church in Nigeria has seen an alarming wave of abductions targeting its priests, seminarians, and religious personnel against the backdrop of a general increase of kidnappings for ransom.
According to a study published last week by Fides Agency, a total of 145 priests were abducted between 2015 and 2025, with eleven killed and four still missing.
The latest incident occurred on March 5, when Fr. Sylvester Okechukwu, a priest of the Diocese of Kafanchan, Kaduna State, was murdered a day after his kidnapping, Aci Africa agency reported.
Two days earlier in the Diocese of Auchi, Edo State, a Seminarian, Andrew Peter, was brutally killed as gunmen kidnapped him along with another priest, Fr. Philip Ekweli who was eventually released on March 13 after ten days in captivity.
Kidnappings: a major and persistent issue in Nigeria
Kidnappings have been a major issue in Nigeria since the Nineties when armed groups started abducting foreign oil executives in the oil-rich Niger Delta, as a way to pressure the government to address their concerns about oil pollution in their communities.
Fr Cornelius Damulak, kidnapped from Abuja escaped from his abductors in February 2025
Since 2009, the Islamist Boko Haram insurgents have also been responsible for numerous kidnappings, particularly in Nigeria’s northeast and northwest, including mass-abductions of schoolchildren. But in more recent times, hostage-taking has become a booming industry related to the country’s worsening economic conditions. Kidnapping for ransom became rampant in 2011, spreading across all 36 states and the capital, Abuja, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Between July 2022 and June 2023, 3,620 people were abducted in 582 kidnapping cases, with about 5 billion naira (approximately $3.88 million) paid in ransoms.
Along with businesspeople, and generally those perceived as being well-off Church personnel has been increasingly targeted.
Kaduna emerging as the deadliest Nigerian state for priests
Fides Agency’s report indicates that the phenomenon is particularly severe in certain States , such as Owerri, Onitsha, and Kaduna, with Owerri recording the highest number of cases at 47. Despite the high number of kidnappings, the majority of abducted priests were released, either through police rescue operations or ransom payments. Kaduna emerged as the deadliest state, with 24 priests abducted and seven killed. This high death toll suggests the presence of terrorist activity, insurgent violence, and increased religious tensions, making it a more dangerous region for clergy.
Other Nigerian States with the highest death toll include Abuja, with two priests killed, followed by Benin where one priest was murdered, and Onitsha, where one priest was also killed. The report also lists Nigerian provinces where kidnapped priests are still missing. These include Kaduna, Benin, and Owerri.
Minimal cases reported in Lagos, Ibadan, and Calabar
In contrast, Lagos, Ibadan, and Calabar States have reported minimal cases, with all kidnapped priests in these areas being safely released. Lagos, in particular, has remained the safest, possibly due to stronger security measures and lower religious militancy.
RECOWA: an uncacceptable trend
In a statement issued last week and cited by ACI Africa agency, the Regional Episcopal Conference of West Africa (RECOWA) strongly condemned the violence waged against Catholic clergy in the entire region, as “an evil that is gradually gaining ground”, noting that the trend is unacceptable. Referring specifically to Nigeria, the bishops noted that not a month passes by without the news of the kidnapping of a priest or religious and called for prayers for their immediate release. They also urged priests ministering in high-risk areas to remain committed to their mission of serving the poor and marginalized, despite the dangers they face.
