Abuja: Catholic priests in Nigeria continue to face violent attacks. On Wednesday, May 15, Fr. Basil Gbusuo from the Archdiocese of Onitsha was the latest to be kidnapped, marking the fourth priest abducted in Nigeria in just five months.

Around 8 a.m. on May 15, while driving along the AK Nkpore-Obose Bypass, armed men shot at Fr. Basil and kidnapped him, as revealed by Archdiocese Chancellor Fr. Prudentius Aroah.

Local Archbishop Valerian Maduka Okeke has called on everyone to pray for Fr. Basil's swift release. There is still no information on the whereabouts of the three priests abducted in previous years. Nigeria faces a severe security crisis, with kidnapping for ransom becoming a widespread issue. Last year alone, 28 priests were kidnapped in Nigeria.

The country's insecurity has been a significant problem since the Boko Haram insurgency began in 2009, aiming to turn Nigeria into an Islamic state. Boko Haram, one of the largest Islamist groups in Africa, indiscriminately carries out attacks on civilians and political targets alike. The situation is further exacerbated by attacks from a militant group of Muslim-majority Fulani herdsmen, known as the Fulani Militia.