One of the outspoken Catholic Bishops in Nigeria has lamented that the recent murder of the Country’s Catholic Priest translates as “cruel assault on our faith, our humanity.”

Reporting the bishop, the Correspondent of RECOWACERAO NEWS AGENCY, RECONA transmitting from Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria stated that the March 5 murder of Fr. Sylvester Okechukwu of the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan is an attack on the Christian faith and humanity, the Local Ordinary of the Nigerian Diocese has said.

In a statement issued Thursday, March 7, Bishop Julius Yakubu Kundi expresses “outrage over the kidnapping and brutal murder of Fr. Okechukwu.”

“With deep sorrow and righteous indignation, I condemn in the strongest terms the relentless and tragic wave of kidnappings targeting Priests, Pastoral Agents, and the faithful of our Diocese,” the Nigerian Catholic Bishop says in the statement shared with ACI Africa.

Bishop Yakubu bemoans, “The horrifying abduction and gruesome murder of my son, Rev. Fr Sylvester Okechukwu, on March 5, 2025, is a cruel assault on our faith, our humanity, and the peace of our State.”

“The Diocese is engulfed in anguish, and the land is heavy with anger. How long our pastors and brethren shall be hunted like prey? How long shall our places of worship become grounds for fear instead of sanctuaries of hope?” the Local Ordinary of Kafanchan queries.

For him, “The murder of Fr. Okechukwu is not just an attack on the Church but a direct affront to the values of justice, peace, and human dignity.”

Attacks on the Clergy and Catholics have become frequent in various Nigerian Local Government Areas (LGAs), Bishop Yakubu says and goes on to recall previous deadly attacks in his Episcopal See.

“This is not an isolated tragedy. We painfully recall the murder of Catechist Raymond Ya’u on July 21, 2021, in Matyei, Zangon Kataf LGA; Very Rev. Fr Johnmark Cheitnum, who was abducted and murdered on July 14, 2022, at Yadin Garu, Lere LGA; Seminarian Naaman Stephen Ngofe, a 25-year-old seminarian murdered in Fadan Kamantan, Zangon Kataf, LGA, on September 7, 2023; and Catechist Istifanus Katunku, abducted on July 4, 2024, at Kagal, Zangon Kataf, LGA, whose whereabouts remain unknown,” he recalls.

The Local Ordinary of Kafanchan Diocese since his Episcopal Consecration in February 2020 laments, “These atrocities deepen our sorrow and reinforce our demand for justice.”

He goes on to condemn the widespread kidnappings affecting Catholic communities across several Nigerian LGAs, including Kauru, Kaura, Lere, and Zangon Kataf, “where criminals continue to wreak havoc on innocent lives.”

“The outrageous ransoms demanded their release not only devastate families but also pose a severe threat to food security and the general well-being of the people in Kafanchan Diocese and Southern Kaduna as a whole,” the Catholic Bishop further laments.

He continues, “The kidnappings have left communities in fear, disrupted livelihoods, and intensified economic hardship in an already struggling region.”

“I received the news from the Parish Priest of St Mathew Catholic Church Anchuna, Ikulu Chiefdom, Zangon Kataf LGA, of the abduction of about six of his Parishioners, among whom is the wife of Catechist Sunday Agachuwang, one of our pastoral agents,” Bishop Kundi reveals.

In response to the increasing attacks, the Nigerian Catholic Church leader expresses openness to collaborating with security personnel and other relevant governmental authorities to protect the Clergy and the faithful under his pastoral care.

“We recognize the ever-increasing threat to the security of our Priests and the faithful. In the face of such barbarity, the Diocese is open to collaborating with security personnel and governmental authorities to address these growing dangers. However, we cannot remain silent as our people live in fear, uncertain of what the future holds,” Bishop Yakubu says.

He adds, “The Diocese has always placed its trust in constituted authorities to protect lives and property. Yet, we are compelled to question: How much longer can we entrust our security to a system that has repeatedly failed to protect its citizens?”

Bishop Yakubu urges the Nigerian government and its security agencies to “take immediate and decisive action to bring the perpetrators of these heinous crimes to justice. The blood of Fr. Sylvester Okechukwu and all other innocent souls cry out for justice.”

Insecurity has been rife in the West African nation, where kidnappings, murder, and other forms of persecution against Christians remain rampant in many parts of the country, especially in the North.

On the day that Fr. Sylvester was kidnapped, the Catholic Diocese of Auchi in Nigeria sent out a prayer appeal for the release of a Priest and a major Seminarian who had been abducted from a Parish Rectory the previous day. The two are still missing.

Fr. Sylvester’s murder follows a series of other incidents that have targeted Catholic Priests in Africa’s most populous country.

On February 6, Fr. Cornelius Manzak Damulak, a member of the Clergy of the Catholic Diocese of Shendam and a student at Veritas University Abuja in Nigeria was abducted and later escaped from captivity.

Later, on February 19, Fr. Moses Gyang Jah of St. Mary Maijuju Parish of Shendam Diocese was abducted alongside his niece and the Parish Council Chairman, Mr. Nyam Ajiji. The Parish Council Chairman was reportedly killed. Fr. Jah and his niece are yet to be freed.

On February 22, Fr. Matthew David Dutsemi and Fr. Abraham Saummam were abducted from the Catholic Diocese of Yola. They are yet to be released.

The country has been experiencing insecurity since 2009 when the Boko Haram insurgency began with the aim of turning the country into an Islamic state.

Day: March 9, 2025

MURDER OF FR. OKECHUKWU IS A SLAP ON OUR FAITH

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