Kaduna Province had the highest number of deaths of Priests in the whole of Nigeria, This, Agenzia Fides estimates, “could be due to terrorist activity, insurgent influence, or heightened religious tensions in northern Nigeria.”
“Kaduna represents the most dangerous province, where kidnappings frequently end in fatalities,” says Agenzia Fides, and adds that the trend “suggests that kidnappers in this region are more aggressive, politically motivated, or less interested in ransom negotiations.”
Other provinces with the highest death toll in the reported period of time include Abuja where two Priests were killed, Benin where one Priest was killed, and Onitsha, where one Priest was also murdered.
On Abuja, Agenzia Fides says, “The Federal Capital region is also affected, showing that even security-presumed areas are not immune.”
The report also lists Nigerian provinces where kidnapped Priests are still missing. These include Kaduna, Benin, and Owerri.
The less affected provinces in terms of kidnappings and murder of Priests, which have been described as “low-risk” include Ibadan with two cases of kidnapping, all of them released; Calabar with all the four kidnapped Priests released, and Lagos that didn’t have any case of kidnapping.
Agenzia Fides notes that Lagos, being Nigeria’s economic hub, appears to be the safest province for Catholic clergy. “This could be due to better policing, urban security measures, or lower religious militancy in the region,” the Agency suggests.
Insecurity is rife in Nigeria, where kidnappings, murder and other forms of persecution against Christians remain rampant in many parts of the West African country, especially in the north.
According to Catholic Pontifical and charity foundation, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International, a total of 13 Catholic Priests were kidnapped in Nigeria in 2024 alone.
Members of the Regional Episcopal Conference of West Africa (RECOWA) have condemned the incessant kidnapping and assassination of Catholic Priests and Religious in the West African region, describing the trend as an “abnormality”.
In a statement shared with ACI Africa on Tuesday, March 11, RECOWA members described the violence meted against Catholic Clergy in the entire West African region as “an evil that is gradually gaining ground”, noting that the trend is unacceptable.
