The wave of kidnappings targeting clergy in Nigeria shows no sign of slowing. In the latest incident, Fr. Ibrahim Amos, vicar of St. Gerald Kwasi Parish in Kurmin Risga, Kaduna State, was seized from his residence around midnight on April 24, according to Fr. Jacob Shannet, Chancellor of the Diocese of Kafanchan.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, continues to grapple with a disturbing pattern of abductions affecting priests, seminarians, and Christian civilians. Local Christian communities lament that kidnapping has evolved into a booming criminal enterprise, ensnaring people across all walks of life.

The alarming trend has not gone unnoticed at the highest levels of the Church. Pope Francis, during his Angelus address on February 25, 2024, voiced his deep concern over the rampant kidnappings plaguing Nigeria.