Bishop Julius Yakubu Kundi of Kafanchan says there has been at least one violent death in his diocese every year since 2021, reports Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).
It comes amid mounting concerns about spiralling anti-Christian persecution across the vast contingent, much of which is not being reported on by mainstream media.
The bishop spoke out following the abduction of Father Sylvester Okechukwu from his home in Tachira, Kaduna State, on the evening of Ash Wednesday, 4 March.
He was found dead in the early hours of the following day. It is still unclear why his kidnappers murdered him, ACN reports.
“The diocese is engulfed in anguish, and the land is heavy with anger,” Bishop Kundi said. “How long shall our pastors and brethren be hunted like prey? How long shall our places of worship become grounds for fear instead of sanctuaries of hope?”
He repeated the call that he made at a press conference on 7 March for Nigerian authorities to act swiftly to ensure security in Kaduna State.
“We demand that the government and security agencies take immediate and decisive action to bring the perpetrators of these heinous crimes to justice,” the prelate said. “The blood of Father Sylvester Okechukwu and all other innocent souls cries out for justice.”
In the last 10 years, 145 priests have been kidnapped in Nigeria according to an analysis carried out by the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), which collected data on the kidnappings of Nigerian priests between 2015 and 2025.
Of the 145 kidnapped priests, 11 were killed, while four remain missing. All the others have been released, reports Agenzia Fides, the info service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927, and whose article carries a detailed breakdown of the kidnappings, divided by ecclesiastical province.
A recent article in the Spectator focuses on the persecution of Christians in Africa and asks
“Why does the beheading of Christians not make headlines?”It notes that the Congolese chapter of Islamic State operating in the country “has a ruthless way of stopping outsiders reporting their presence to the authorities. Under the edicts of their founder, Jamil Mukulu, who once lived as a cleric in London, anyone who strays across them in their forest hideouts should be killed on sight. ‘Slaughter him or her, behead them immediately,’ Mukulu once commanded. ‘Never give it a second thought, do not hesitate’.”
Last month, his acolytes are reported to have beheaded 70 Christians in Mayba in the eastern Congo, according to ACN.
Bishop Kundi added: “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 bishop went on to remember those who have been killed, including catechist Raymond Ya’u in 2021, Father Mark Cheitnum in 2022 and seminarian Naaman Ngofe in 2023.
When it comes to abductions showing no sign of letting up, catechist Istifanus Katunku, who was kidnapped last year, remains missing, and Bishop Kundi told ACN that on 10 March he received the news of the abduction of about six parishioners from St Mathew’s Church in Anchuna, including the wife of a catechist.
Following the death of Father Sylvester Okechukwu, the Christian Association of Nigeria issued a statement saying: “This heinous crime further highlights the alarming insecurity in our nation, particularly in northern Nigeria, where innocent citizens, including clergy members, are repeatedly targeted, abducted, and killed with impunity.”
ACN has provided security for vulnerable churches and seminaries in Nigeria, including a security wall for the Good Shepherd Seminary, in Kaduna, where four seminarians were kidnapped in 2020.
Bishop Kundi called the ongoing attacks “a cruel assault on our faith, our humanity and the peace of our state”.