For information about Orthodox Christianity in Nigeria, see here.
For previous coverage of the persecution of Christians in Nigeria from ChristianPersecution.com, see here.
“Catholic Church Worker Killed in Kidnapping of Priest in Nigeria,” Morning Star News, March 10, 2022:
ABUJA, Nigeria (Morning Star News) – A church security guard was killed in the kidnapping of a Roman Catholic priest at about 1 a.m. on Tuesday (March 8) in Kaduna state, Nigeria, sources said.
The security guard, identified only as Luka, was killed in the abduction of the Rev. Joseph Akeke of St. John’s Catholic Church from his home in the Kudenda area of Kaduna city, and the assailants killed another man in the predominantly Christian area as they shot sporadically while fleeing, area residents said.
A woman and two children also were reportedly abducted along with Akeke in the attack in Kaduna state’s South County.
“Let’s pray for God intervention and for his safe release,” Kudenda area resident Peter Mamza said in a text message to Morning Star News about the kidnapped priest on Tuesday morning (March 8).
Mamza was one of four area residents who sent texts about the attack. Another area resident, Chinyere Onyewaku, wrote, “These are challenges we face as Christians in Nigeria,” while Isaac Ishadu stated that such attacks have become institutionalized. He prayed for “God to free His church from the hands of the evil ones.”
The Daily Trust newspaper quoted residents as saying the church security guard and another man were killed in the attack and that the priest, a woman and two children were kidnapped.
Also early on Tuesday (March 8), a Christian second-year student at the University of Jos was kidnapped in Jos, capital of Plateau state in north-central Nigeria, her classmate said. Rita Chizoba Ben Igiri, a business student at the university’s Faculty of Management Sciences, was kidnapped at about 12:30 am, Gideon Bright Paul told Morning Star News in a text message….
Nigeria led the world in Christians killed for their faith last year (Oct. 1, 2020 to Sept. 30, 2021) at 4,650, up from 3,530 the previous year, according to Open Doors’ 2022 World Watch List report. The number of kidnapped Christians was also highest in Nigeria, at more than 2,500, up from 990 the previous year, according to the WWL report.
Nigeria trailed only China in the number of churches attacked, with 470 cases, according to the report.
In the 2022 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria jumped to seventh place, its highest ranking ever, from No. 9 the previous year.
