Kidnapped seminarist, murdered in Nigeria; The priest was released after 10 days in captivity

ACI Africa, March 18, 2025 / 06:00 a.m.

A seminarian kidninner kidnapped by a rectory in the Nigerian diocese on March 3 in the Nigerian diocese was murdered by his kidnappers, and a civil servant of the diocese was confirmed. The priest with whom he was kidnapped was released.

In a statement that was shared with ACI Africa, CNAS News partner in Africa confirmed on March 15, the communication director of the ANSI -Diocese, Father Peter Egielewa, the secure publication of Father Philip Ecweli on Thursday, March 13th, and ended on Thursday, March 13th, and ended 10 days of captivity in the hands of his abductors.

“He is now receiving appropriate medical help,” said Egielewa.

“Unfortunately, the 21-year-old was cruelly murdered by the kidnappers,” the 21-year-old was a big seminarian Andrew Peter, who was kidnapped together with Father Ekweli, “continued Egielewa's explanation. He pressed the Nigerian Bishop Lake “sincere condolences to Andrew Peter's family members and prayed God to grant them comfort and strength in this difficult time.

Ekweli and Andrew Peter were kidnapped from the rectory of the Catholic Church of St. Peter Iviukhua-Bode, the federal territory East Local Government (LGA) from the state of Edo, as armed men both the rectory and the church destroyed, doors and windows and led them into the surrounding forest.

In the declaration of March 14, Egielewa, the local ordinary, Bishop Gabriel Ghiakhomo Dunia, said “gratitude for prayers and moral support that Father Ekweli and the Seminarian captured in captivity.”

Ghiakhomo asked the Nigerian state and the federal government as well as the state's security authorities, “to stop the deteriorating security situation in Edo North and other parts of the state of Edo, which has now become a safe port for kidnappers and is working on will, while people feel helpless and abandoned.”

The bishop continued to ask the government to “take proactive steps to operate the necessary resources for Edo North in order to secure the lives and property of the people.

“People are not sure on the streets, in their farms and even in their houses,” he said. “This is unacceptable if there are elected civil servants whose duty it is to protect the people.”

Ghiakhomo thanked the government of the EDO state for their “sincere efforts to see the victims”, but was dissatisfied with the police reaction in the reaction of the rescue efforts and asked them to take better measures to rescue guided victims instead of only in the hands of the family, friends and acquaintances of disappointed victims let.

In the declaration of March 14, Egielewa complained: “In the past 10 years, the diocese of the M. Six of its priests kidnapped, tortured and released, attacked three, but escaped, and one (father Christopher Odia) was murdered in 2022 and now also.

“May the souls of the seminar Andrew Peter, the Father Christopher Odia and all those killed by kidnappers in Nigeria, rest in peace through the mercy of God,” he beg.

Uncertainty is widespread in Nigeria, where kidnapping, murder and other forms of persecution against Christians in many parts of the West African country, especially in the north, remain widespread.

On March 5, Father Sylvester Okechukwu was murdered by the diocese of Kafanchan the day after his kidnapping on March 4th.

The latest kidnapping of Ekweli and the murder of Andrew Peter follow a number of other kidnappings that Catholic priests aim to in the most populous nation in Africa.

On February 6, Father Cornelius Manzak Damulak, member of the clergymen of the Diocese of Shendam and a student at Veritas University Abuja in Nigeria, was kidnapped and later escaped from captivity.

(Story below)

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Later, on February 19, Father Moses Gyang Jah was kidnapped by the St. Mary Maijuju community of Shendam in addition to his niece and the chairman of the local council, Nyam Ajiji. Ajiji was supposedly killed; Jah and his niece still have to be freed.

On February 22, Father Matthew David Dutsemi and Father Abraham Saummam were kidnapped from the Yola diocese. They were later released.

Nigeria has been experiencing uncertainty since 2009 when Boko Haram -uprising with the aim of transforming the country into an Islamic state.

The Catholic bishops in the country, the most populous nation in Africa, have constantly asked the government to prioritize the security of its citizens.

This story was published first CNA adapted by ACI Africa, the news partner of CNA in Africa.