Fulani Ethnic Killers Taunting Authorities: Expert
Ransom was paid, the priest was executed, the hostages were held for weeks afterward, and no arrests have been announced.
By Mary Kiara
(Kaduna) – After 78 days in captivity, the wife and daughter of an Anglican priest murdered by his abductors have been released in northern Nigeria, according to family members and church officials. They are receiving medical care. No official explanation has been provided for their release, and no arrests have been announced.
Sarah Achi and her daughter were freed late Wednesday, January 15, 2026, ending a kidnapping that began with the execution of their husband and father, Venerable Edwin Achi, Priest-in-Charge of Ebenezer Anglican Church, Ungwan Maijero, in Kaduna State.
Family members confirmed the release in a brief statement.
“We are grateful to share that our family has finally found some closure,” the statement said. “Mrs. Sarah Achi and her daughter were safely released last night and are currently receiving medical care.”
The Church of Nigeria’s television arm, Advent Cable Network Nigeria, also reported the release, posting on Facebook: “Praise God who answers prayers. ACNN can confirm that wife of late Venerable Achi and daughter were rescued last night.”
No security agency has publicly described how the women were freed.
Killed After Ransom Was Raised
The release comes months after Venerable Achi was abducted and later killed by the same Fulani militants holding his family.
The militants stormed the family’s home in Nissi community, Chikun County, around 2 a.m. on October 28, 2025, dragging Achi, his wife, and their daughter into surrounding forests. They demanded a ransom of $416,000, which was later reduced after negotiations to $138,700.
Family members say money was raised and delivered. Instead of securing his release, they were instructed to retrieve his body.
“They raised money, paid the ransom, and were told to come collect their pastor’s body,” a family representative said at the time. “He was killed simply for being a man of God.”
Achi was later buried in Delta State. His elderly mother, relatives said, has not been told that her son is dead.
Held After the Execution
What made the case especially disturbing, church leaders and relatives say, was that Achi’s wife and daughter were held long after his execution.
During that period, the abductors used Achi’s Facebook account to upload photographs of the two women, proof-of-life images made publicly visible for weeks.
Security analysts say the online activity exposed a deeper failure.
Phil Esan, a security researcher, told TruthNigeria, “When armed groups can post images repeatedly and remain untraceable, it points to a serious intelligence breakdown. This is basic digital tracking. The fact that it didn’t happen tells you the system either could not or would not respond.”
Esan said such tactics serve two purposes: psychological pressure on families and public demonstration of state weakness.
Promises, But No Explanation
Before the release, Kaduna State Police spokesman Mansir Hassan told journalists that security agencies were working to rescue the captives.
“We are trying our best with other security agencies to see that we rescue them unhurt,” Hassan said. “We are working hand in hand with other security agencies.”
Security operatives have not explained whether the release followed a rescue operation, negotiations, or further payments. Family members declined to comment on the circumstances.
There is no public record of a statement from the Kaduna State government under Governor Uba Sani addressing the case.
A Pattern Without Closure
Church leaders say Achi’s killing fits a broader pattern in which clergy are abducted and, in some cases, killed even after ransom negotiations.
Reverend Father Emefiena Ezeani told TruthNigeria, “Since 2015 to date, these terrorists have subjected millions of Christians to an unprecedented agony and earthly hell, yet different Nigerian Governments or security agencies seem not to know what to do.”
Security analysts warn that prolonged captivity after an execution signals something beyond financial leverage.
“When hostages are held after a killing, it becomes intimidation,” Esan said. “It tells communities the state cannot interrupt these networks.”
Freedom Without Justice
Online reactions to the release were mixed, gratitude that the women survived, anger that their freedom came without accountability.
“The whole family is not complete,” James Anthony, a social commentator wrote. “Their dad is gone and they will face trauma in the future. This should not have happened in the first place, Nigeria failed them. Nigeria abandoned them.”
For the Achi family, the immediate focus is recovery. For Nigeria’s security institutions, the questions remain unresolved: Who killed a priest after ransom was raised? Why were his wife and daughter held for weeks afterward? And why has no one been held responsible?
The hostages are free but the crime that put them there remains unanswered.
Mary Kiara reports on terrorism for TruthNigeria.
