(ZENIT News / Kogi, Nigeria, 09.19.2025).- A parish priest in Nigeria’s central Kogi State has been kidnapped along with several fellow travelers, underscoring once again how targeted violence against clergy and ordinary citizens has become a grim feature of daily life in Africa’s most populous nation.
Father Wilfred Ezemba, pastor of St. Paul’s Parish in Agaliga-Efabo, was seized on September 13 while traveling the Imane–Ogugu road near Olamaboro. Eyewitnesses say unidentified gunmen ambushed the vehicle and took the priest and others into the surrounding forests. Their whereabouts remain unknown, as do the kidnappers’ precise demands, though ransom is widely suspected to be the motive. Security forces continue to comb the bushland without success.
The abduction adds to a disturbing pattern that has placed religious leaders on the front lines of Nigeria’s worsening security crisis. Priests, seminarians, and pastors have been frequent targets of criminal gangs who recognize the symbolic weight of striking at the Church. In some cases, presbyteries and convents have been stormed directly; in others, clergy are swept up in attacks on travelers.
Speaking to Vatican media, Bishop Gabriel Dunia lamented the unchecked violence, warning that Nigeria’s social fabric is fraying under constant threat. His concerns echo those of Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, president of the Nigerian Bishops’ Conference, who has accused political leaders of neglect. “While many towns and villages have become communities living in fear, forced to flee or to bury their dead,” he said recently, “our leaders are more preoccupied with the elections of 2027 than with keeping their promises to restore peace.”
The Church’s alarm is not limited to pastoral anxiety; it points to the fragility of a country that, despite being Africa’s third-largest economy, struggles to assert authority over swathes of its territory. The kidnapping industry, driven by the expectation of ransom, has entrenched itself in many regions, fueling mistrust between citizens and the state.
The bishops’ warnings carry a sharper edge than usual. In a stark comment, one prelate suggested that “those who attempt to block change peacefully make violent change inevitable,” a phrase that resonates uncomfortably in a nation haunted by memories of civil war and insurgency.
For the Catholic community, Father Ezemba’s abduction is not an isolated tragedy but another painful reminder of the vulnerability of their shepherds. In villages where Mass is often the only sign of stability, the loss of a priest—even temporarily—can leave entire communities shaken.
As night falls on Olamaboro and the Imane–Ogugu road remains quiet, prayers rise from pews and roadside shrines alike. For many Nigerian Christians, the abduction of their priest is more than a crime—it is a test of faith, of resilience, and of whether their nation’s leaders still have the will to protect them.
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