Nigerian Catholics Rally Against Growing Threat to Priests’ Safety…Tinubu to Mark 73rd Birthday with Prayers Instead of Festivities…Nigerian Bandit Leader Killed in Revenge Attack…Violence Linked to Herders Now a Nationwide Security Threat
- Nigerian Catholics Protest Rising Kidnappings, Killings of Priests
Catholics in Nigeria’s Edo State staged mass protests against the abduction and killing of clergy, farmers, and market women.
The protests, which began online on March 25, included a day of mourning on March 26 and concluded on March 27 with a candlelight procession at Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Auchi, in honor of murdered clergy members, including Rev. Fr. Christopher Odia and seminarian Andrew Peter.
Fr. Odia was kidnapped and killed in June 2022, while Peter was abducted on March 3 alongside Rev. Fr. Philip Ekweli and later murdered. Fr. Ekweli was released after a ransom was reportedly paid.
Most Rev. Dr. Gabriel Ghieakhomo Dunia, Bishop of Auchi Diocese, condemned the rising insecurity, vowing that Christians would not abandon their land. “This place will be more secure in times to come. They cannot terrify us into abandoning our land,” the Bishop said, according to The Catholic World Report.
Agenzia Fides reports that 145 Catholic priests have been kidnapped in Nigeria since 2015, with 11 killed and four still missing. Recently, two priests were abducted in Anambra and Imo states, while another was kidnapped and later killed in Kaduna, highlighting the ongoing crisis.
- President Tinubu to Mark 73rd Birthday with National Prayer Session for Nigeria
As Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu turns 73 this Saturday, he is choosing a moment of prayer over fanfare. On Friday, he will join fellow Muslims at the National Mosque in Abuja for a special prayer session dedicated to Nigeria’s peace, progress, and prosperity.
This year’s birthday is particularly significant—it falls during Ramadan and comes just two months before his administration marks its second anniversary. Rather than festivities, Tinubu sees this as a time for reflection and gratitude.
“Choosing a prayer session reflects President Tinubu’s dedication to Nigeria’s spiritual and moral well-being and his commitment to seeking divine guidance, insight, and strength in leadership,” his office stated. “He believes collective prayer is a powerful tool for guiding the nation towards progress and harmony.”
Tinubu encourages all Nigerians to join the prayer in spirit “to pray for divine guidance, unity, and healing for our land.”
- Rival Gunmen Assassinate Infamous Nigerian Bandit Leader in Cold Blood
Kachalla Isuhu Yellow, a notorious Nigerian bandit leader, was shot and killed on Friday in a marketplace in Zamfara State. He was ambushed by gunmen loyal to rival warlord Dogo Gide, ending his reign of terror across Northwestern Nigeria.
Yellow, known for leading violent attacks and high-profile kidnappings—including the 2022 Abuja-Kaduna train hijacking—had been targeted by Nigerian security forces just days earlier. Wounded in clashes with troops, he sought refuge in Dan Jibga Market but was tracked down by Gide’s fighters.
“Dogo Gide has been hunting Isuhu Yellow for a long time. After the attack on Bakin Sifindi, Gide’s men were determined to eliminate him,” an intelligence source confirmed to Zagazola Makama. “He let his guard down in Dan Jibga Market, and they got him.”
Yellow’s death followed his killing of rival bandit leader Kachalla Bakin Sifindi on March 25, 2025. This move provoked Dogo Gide, who swiftly orchestrated the ambush that led to Yellow’s assassination.
- Herders’ Attacks Exploding Across Nigeria, Creeps into Southern Nigeria
A new intelligence report warns that violent attacks by terrorist Fulani herders in Nigeria are spreading southward, escalating the country’s security crisis.
The report, A National Emergency: The Escalating Crisis of Pastoral Violence in Nigeria, was published by SBM Intelligence and obtained by SaharaReporters. It highlights how pastoral violence, once concentrated in North Central states like Benue and Plateau, is expanding into southern regions, including Enugu and Oyo.
It describes a systematic campaign of territorial displacement, worsened by weak governance and environmental pressures. The spread follows herder migration routes and illegal arms trade, making it a nationwide emergency.
The crisis recently hit Oyo State, where armed attackers, suspected to be herders, raided student hostels at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, stealing valuables and allegedly killing two people.
With increasing attacks across multiple regions, the report warns that no part of Nigeria is immune from the growing violence.
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
