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Alarm as Over 100 Catholic Priests Kidnapped across Nigeria in 10 Years, 11 Killed

Massacre in Plateau Nigeria on 24 December 2023. Credit: Aid to the Church in Need (ACN)
Agnes Aineah

By Agnes Aineah

Abuja, 12 March, 2025 / 10:29 pm (ACI Africa).

Over 100 Catholic Priests have been kidnapped in Nigeria in the past 10 years, a new report has indicated, unearthing the growing persecution of Christians in the West African country.

The report published on Wednesday, March 12 by the information service of Propaganda Fide, Agenzia Fides, shows that of the 145 Catholic Priests kidnapped in Nigeria between 2015 and 2025, 11 have been killed and the whereabouts of four others remain unknown.

In the report, the provinces of Owweri in southern Nigeria, Onitsha also in the southern part of the country, and Kaduna in the north-west, were the highest affected by the abductions. 

With 47 cases of kidnapping, Owerri was the most affected in Nigeria in the mentioned period which, according to Agenzia Fides, indicates “a high-risk region for clergy.”

“Despite the high number, all but two priests were released safely, suggesting effective rescue efforts or ransom payments,” the Catholic information agency has reported.

Onitsha province comes second with 30 cases of kidnapping of Priests. One of the kidnapped Priests was killed, according to the report. This, Agenzia Fides says, “suggests a pattern of abductions primarily for ransom rather than targeted killings.”

In Kaduna, the report indicates that a total of 24 Priests were kidnapped, and that seven of these were killed.

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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.

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Alarm as Over 100 Catholic Priests Kidnapped across Nigeria in 10 Years, 11 Killed

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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.

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In Nigeria, in particular, RECOWA members noted that not a month passes by without the news of the kidnapping of a Priest or Religious being received and a call for prayer made by the Local Ordinaries and Superiors for their release. 

They appealed to Catholic Priests ministering in hostile regions to remain committed to serving the poor and the marginalized without giving way to fear.

Agnes Aineah

Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor's Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communications from Kenya's Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.