Kidnapping of priests in Nigeria viewed as part of broader attack on Christian ‘soft targets’
Police in Nigeria have arrested two individuals suspected of being involved in the kidnapping of Father Thomas Oyode, the Rector of Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary School in the Diocese of Auchi, located in Edo State, a conflict-prone region in the country’s central-southern area.
During a press briefing on Oct. 30, Edo State Police Commissioner Umoru Ozigi announced that the suspects are cooperating with authorities to track down their accomplices. He also urged residents to provide any information that could help in capturing criminals in the area, where lawlessness is rampant.
According to a statement by Father Peter Egielewa, the diocese’s Director of Communications, Oyode was abducted on Sunday evening during prayers around 7:00 p.m. at the seminary. The kidnappers initially took two seminarians, but Oyode offered himself in exchange for their release. He was then taken into the surrounding bush.
Egielewa added that the Vice Rector and all seminarians are safe and have been temporarily relocated while security is strengthened around the seminary. However, there has been no contact with the abductors, who are reportedly demanding a ransom of approximately $122,000, though this remains unconfirmed.
This incident underscores the escalating danger faced by clergy and religious figures in Nigeria, who are often viewed as “soft targets.” A report by the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law, or “Intersociety,” estimates over 150,000 religion-related civilian deaths in Nigeria since 2009. The report also highlights that around 14 million Christians have been displaced, and more than 800 Christian communities attacked during the same period.
Intersociety Director Emeka Umeagbalassi asserts that the violence against Catholic clergy and Christians is part of a broader plan to Islamize the country. He also criticized the federal government, accusing it of bias and complicity in the violence perpetrated by certain ethnic groups, notably the Fulani.
Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja expressed frustration over the failure of security agencies to curb the rising violence, pointing to the unchecked activities of Boko Haram, herdsmen militias, kidnappers, and bandits terrorizing various regions.
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on the federal government to take decisive action against the growing attacks on priests, pastors, and moderate Muslims, who are increasingly becoming victims of kidnappings and terrorism. Last year, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto Diocese revealed that his diocese had spent over $37,000 securing the release of clergy members.
Franklyne Ogbunwezeh, a senior researcher for Sub-Saharan Africa at Christian Solidarity International, emphasized that while some kidnappers are motivated by financial gain, jihadist groups have a more ideological aim—displacing Christians to establish an Islamic caliphate. By targeting high-profile Christian leaders, they seek to weaken Christian communities and make them more vulnerable to destruction.