Abuja, NIGERIA — Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama of the Archdiocese of Abuja in Nigeria has condemned the rise in cases of kidnappings of Catholic priests in the West African country, blaming the government’s failure to address the growing wave of abductions in the country.
Speaking on Wednesday, March 5, on the sidelines of the Ash Wednesday Mass marking the beginning of the 2025 Lenten season, Archbishop Kaigama reassured the faithful that despite the persecution they experience, God will not abandon them.
“No matter how we are targeted, God will fight for us. Even if this is a deliberate attempt to demoralize us and prevent us from preaching the Gospel, we shall stand strong and firm in faith,” the Nigerian Catholic Archbishop said.
He expressed concern about the fate of kidnapped Clergy members, revealing that he personally knows three Priests currently in captivity.
“As I speak to you, there are three Priests I know who are in captivity. Every day has been a day of prayer for me. As I eat my food, which sometimes lacks taste when I think of them, I wonder how they are surviving,” Archbishop Kaigama lamented.
Despite the fear and uncertainty, he remains firm in faith and urged Christians to intensify prayers.
“Every morning, I offer my Masses for them. My Holy Hour is dedicated to them. We must take our case to God because He alone can deliver us,” the Archbishop of Abuja said.
He cautioned against targeting the Church, stating that such attacks would fail because of divine intervention.
“If anybody has anything against the Church, I am afraid it is a battle that will not succeed because God will fight for us. Through prayer and commitment, God will stand by us and come to our assistance,” Archbishop Kaigama said.
The Catholic Church leader decried the lack of a concerted governmental effort to address the menace of kidnappings.
He lamented that families and communities are left to negotiate with criminals, hoping for a lucky release.
“If you are able to negotiate with the criminals, and you are lucky, they release your person. If not, that is the end,” the Local Ordinary of Abuja since November 2019 said.
He continued, “It doesn’t appear there are strategic plans to bring this to an end. Because when someone is kidnapped, whether a Priest or not, they are left to their fate. You walk out to your liberation.”
The Nigerian Catholic Church leader, who started his Episcopal Ministry in April 1995 as Bishop of Nigeria’s Catholic Diocese of Jalingo reflected on the growing audacity of kidnappers, who now target individuals not only on highways or during night travels but even in their homes.
“People are now kidnapped in their houses. It has become a routine occurrence. I am not sure it worries the authorities,” he noted.
He expressed distress over the impact of the insecurity on his ministry and Nigeria’s global image. “It worries me. It worries us. It limits our work and damages our credibility,” Archbishop Kaigama said.
“I am ashamed to invite my friends from America or Europe. When they express a desire to visit, I tell them, ‘Don’t come,’ because if anything happens to them, it will be said that I invited them. There is no guarantee of their safety,” he said.
“I travel to other countries and move freely at any time of the day or night. But when I return home, I fear for my safety,” the Catholic Archbishop said.
He urged the Nigerian government to take “urgent” and “effective” measures to restore security.
“This has gone on for too long without solutions. It’s shameful. Yet, billions and even trillions have been allocated for security. Something must be done immediately to make Nigeria a safe country,” Archbishop Kaigama said.
He called on the perpetrators of kidnappings to fear God, reminding them that there will be a final judgment beyond human courts.
“Regardless of their religious background—whether Christian, Muslim, or none at all—no one has the right to harm another person without just cause. Fear God and remember that there is a judgment that will not be conducted by the High Court, Supreme Court, President, or Governor. It will be conducted by God,” the Catholic Archbishop warned.
The 66-year-old Archbishop expressed hope that the ongoing Christian Lenten season and the Muslim Ramadan period would inspire criminals to release their captives.
“Muslims are praying too. This is their Ramadan, and this is our Lenten season. Together, these prayers will bear fruit, and by God’s grace, those in captivity will be released,” he said.
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.
On Wednesday, March 5, Fr. Sylvester Okechukwu, a Priest of the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan in Nigeria was murdered, a day following his kidnapping on March 4.
On the day that Fr. Sylvester was kidnapped, the Catholic Diocese of Auchi in Nigeria also 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.
Earlier on February 6, Fr. Cornelius Manzak Damulak, a member of the Clergy of the Catholic Diocese of Shendam and 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.
Most recently, 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.
Nigeria has been experiencing insecurity since 2009 when Boko Haram insurgency began with the aim of turning the country into an Islamic state.
According to Catholic Pontifical and charity foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International, a total of 13 Priests were kidnapped in Nigeria in 24 alone, all of whom were eventually released, and one was murdered, for a total of 14 incidents.
In a note shared with, ACN has joined the Catholic authorities of Nigeria in their call for prayers for the repose of Fr. Sylvester, and also in their appeal to the government to increase security and put an end to the climate of fear that reigns in many parts of the country.
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