Priest, Seminarian Abducted in Nigeria…Women Protest Fulani Herdsmen Attacks…Lawmakers Push for Stronger Security in Zamfara…Kidnappers Murder Retired Nigerian Immigration Head
- Armed Attackers Seize Nigerian Priest, Seminarian from Church
Gunmen kidnapped a Catholic priest, Rev. Father Philip Ekeli, and a seminarian, Peter Andrew, from St. Peter Catholic Church in Edo State, Nigeria, late Sunday night.
Police sources told security analyst Zagazola Makama on Tuesday that the attack happened around 11:30 p.m. local time. “The police received a distress call from the Chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Mr. Inaede Gabriel, informing them that the church was under siege,” a source said.
Local vigilantes exchanged gunfire with the attackers, killing one suspect. His body was taken to a local hospital morgue. A joint search-and-rescue operation involving the Nigerian military, police, vigilantes, and local hunters is underway to find the victims and arrest the kidnappers.
- Breaking: Catholic Priest kidnapped and murdered
Press info from Aid to the Church in Need, reports that a Catholic priest was kidnapped and murdered in the Diocese of Kafanchan, in Nigeria. Fr Sylvester Okechukwu was taken from his residence on the evening of 4 March, according to a statement released by the diocese. He was found murdered in the early hours of 5 March, according to the same document. No reason has been given for his murder at the hands of his abductors.
The murder of Fr Sylvester comes at a time when another two Nigerian priests are still missing, having been abducted on 22 February in the Diocese of Yola. ACN joins 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.
- Women Protest, Accuse Government of Ignoring Herdsmen Attacks
Women from Eha-Ohala communities in Enugu State, Southeast Nigeria, took to the streets on Tuesday, blocking a major highway to protest ongoing attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
Carrying green leaves and singing, the protesters accused security forces of failing to protect them as armed attackers continued to destroy their farms and settlements.
“Our women are being raped, our husbands and sons can’t go to farm anymore. When we go to the farm, we’re beaten, raped, and brutalized,” one protester told The Punch.
Another protester, Mrs. Roseline Odoh added, “In each of these cases, the government and security agencies will deny that our people were not attacked and killed. The reason for doing so, we don’t know. If they send soldiers and police here, they will only patrol the town. They don’t go to where these criminals are occupying.”
The protesters claimed that since 2020, over 150 people had been killed and 28 farm settlements seized by the herdsmen.
- Nigerian Lawmakers Call for Stronger Security in Zamfara Amid Bandit Attacks
Nigeria’s House of Representatives has called on the federal government to strengthen security in Zamfara State, where armed bandits continue to terrorize communities.
The resolution followed a motion by Hassan Shinkafi, who represents Shinkafi/Zurmi Federal Constituency. He warned that escalating violence has led to widespread killings, kidnappings, and displacement.
“The House is aware that the Governor of Zamfara State has taken pragmatic steps to secure the state,” Shinkafi said as quoted by The Punch, citing local security initiatives. However, he noted that insecurity persists, with over 40 villages deserted.
The House urged the federal government to establish permanent security bases in affected communities and called on security agencies to collaborate with the state government. Lawmakers also directed the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to provide relief for displaced residents.
- Ex-Nigerian Immigration Chief Killed After Abduction
Retired Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), David Shikfu Parradang, was killed by kidnappers in Nigeria’s capital city Abuja after being abducted early Tuesday.
The NIS, similar to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), oversees border security, migration control, and travel documentation in Nigeria.
Zagazola Makama reports that Parradang was trailed from a bank where he had withdrawn money before the assailants took the cash and killed him. The incident has heightened concerns over security in the Federal Capital Territory amid rising kidnappings and targeted attacks.
Parradang, who served in the NIS for over 30 years, held key positions across the country and was a recipient of the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) honor. Security agencies have launched an investigation into his abduction and killing, with efforts underway to track down the perpetrators.
Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
