Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Abuja (Agenzia Fides) - "This is not only an attack on the Church, but above all a direct affront to the values of justice, peace and human dignity." This is how Julius Yakubu Kundi, Bishop of Kafanchan, described the murder of Father Sylvester Okechukwu, kidnapped and killed in the state of Kaduna, in northwestern Nigeria (see Fides, 6/3/2025).
In a statement entitled "Righteous indignation at the horrible murder of my son," Bishop Kundi said: "With deep sorrow and righteous indignation, I condemn in the strongest terms the incessant and tragic wave of kidnappings that have targeted priests, pastoral workers and the faithful. The diocese is gripped by anguish and the land is filled with rage. How long will our pastors and brothers be hunted like prey? Until when will our places of worship become a source of fear rather than sanctuaries of hope? The Bishop of Kafanchan also recalls that the murder of Father Okechukwu is not an isolated event. “This is not a unique tragedy. We remember with pain the murder of catechist Raymond Ya'u on 21 July 2021 in Matyei, Father Johnmark Cheitnum, kidnapped and killed on 14 July 2022 in Yadin Garu, Council of Lere (see Fides, 20/7/2022), the 25-year-old seminarian Naaman Stephen Ngofe, killed in Fadan Kamantan, Council of Zangon Kataf, on 7 September 2023, and catechist Istifanus Katunku, kidnapped on 4 July 2024 in Kagal, Council of Zangon Kataf, whose fate remains unknown. These atrocities increase our pain and strengthen our call for justice.” Finally, Bishop Kundi highlights how several local communities in his diocese are living in anguish over the continued kidnappings of citizens by criminal gangs that remain unpunished.
Father Sylvester Okechukwu, 44, had been captured by gunmen who attacked the rectory of St. Mary Tachira Church, where he was parish priest, late in the evening of March 4. On the morning of March 5, a team of security forces conducting a search operation found the body of Father Okechukwu with clear signs of violence. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which brings together the various Christian churches and communities in Nigeria, has also expressed its condolences on the death of Father Okechukwu in a statement issued today, March 7. “Northern CAN expresses its deepest condolences to the Catholic Archdiocese of Kaduna, the Diocese of Kafanchan, the family of Father Okechukwu and the Christian faithful who have been plunged into mourning by this painful act during this period of Lent,” the statement reads. “This heinous crime highlights once again the alarming insecurity prevailing in our nation, especially in Northern Nigeria, where innocent citizens, including members of the clergy, are repeatedly attacked, kidnapped and killed with impunity. The incessant attacks by criminal elements against the Church and society at large must not be allowed to continue unchecked.” (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 7/3/2025)
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