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Killing Of Catholic Priests: Group Sends Message To Inter-religious Organisation, Slams Buhari

Published

3 years ago

August 15, 2022

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) on Monday slammed the Federal Government and security agencies over the rising kidnapping and killing of Catholic priests who are now endangered species as they have become soft targets for suspected Fulani bandits who are growing their kidnap-for-ransom business.

HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, called on the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council to speak up loudly and condemn the persecution of Catholics in the country.

The group said it is becoming unbecoming the slaughtering and kidnapping of Catholic priests in the country by bandits who have been identified as Fulani on numerous occasions by abducted Catholic priests freed upon the payment of ransom.

Recall that gunmen on Friday kidnapped a Catholic priest and the Deputy Registrar of Spiritan University Nneochi, Fr Chinedu Nwadike. The Imo indigene was kidnapped on Umunnochi-Ihube road by the Enugu-Okigwe road alongside a seminarian, Emmanuel Nwafor. Their abductors had since established contact with their relations and placed N50m ransom on them just as an unconfirmed report indicates that they have been released after 24 hours.

Reacting, HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “The recurring killings and kidnappings of Catholic priests all over the country is another loud sign of the failure of the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).

“This latest kidnap-for-ransom happened at the checkpoint of Soldiers and is exactly this same nexus between these kidnappers and soldiers that emerged from the disclosure of Prelate of the Methodist Church Nigeria who was recently kidnapped and freed upon payment of N100 million ransom but the President did nothing to arrest the soldiers involved in these daredevil crimes of kidnap-for-ransom and this is why the Igbo youths who volunteered to protect Igboland under the auspices of the Eastern Security Network were crushed by soldiers only for soldiers to actively connive with armed Fulani herdsmen to kidnap travellers along the Lokpanta Highway along the Okigwe/Enugu Federal Highway.

“It is worrisome that despite the killing of over 12 Catholic priests in 2022 and the abduction of scores of Catholic priests all over the country, the present regime, and security agencies have left the ugly trend to continue.

“Aside from the latest abduction of Fr Chinedu Nwadike, Rev. Fr. John Mark Chietnum of Kafanchan Diocese at the parish rectory of Christ the King Catholic Church, in Kaduna State was abducted and killed in July after bandits abduct him and other priests.

“Bandits have also kidnapped and killed the Chaplain of the Catholic community of the Kaduna State Polytechnic and chairman of the Nigerian Catholic Diocesan Priests Association, Kaduna State Chapter, Vitus Borogo.

“In March, Reverend Father Joseph Bako of the St John Catholic Church, Kudenda in the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State was kidnapped and he died in the kidnappers’ den.

“Rev. Fr. Alphonsus Uboh of St. Pius X Parish Ikot Abasi in the Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State was also kidnapped.

“Two reverend fathers and their domestic staff were also hijacked from the rectory of their Parish in Katsina under Sokoto Diocese which is headed by Right Reverend Doctor Mathew Hassan-Kukah who has recently come under massive verbal threats by Islamists.

“Earlier, bandits kidnapped the Prelate of the Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence, Samuel Kanu Uche, and he wasn’t released until he paid a ransom of N100m. In fact, he revealed the identity of his kidnappers as “Fulani herdsmen” whose “cattle were very close” to where he was kept. He also indicted the military when he said where he was kept wasn’t far from a military checkpoint.

“Terrorists killed over 40 Catholics during a Sunday service in Owo, Ondo State, in June. Scores of others were injured in the ambush, which is one of the gruesome terrorist attacks on Catholics in the country.

“HURIWA calls on security agencies in the internal security institutions all headed by Muslims to be guided by conscience and put an end to the targeted persecution of Catholics in the country.

“The Nigeria Inter-Religious Council must also rise to the occasion and collectively condemn the heinous action. Muslim clerics must not keep quiet but must speak out and condemn the massacre of Catholics by Fulani bandits.

“Conscience and love for humanity should be above religious sentiments. Crime is crime and should not be deodorised.

“HURIWA will today send out a petition to the Roman Catholic Pontiff Pope Francis abd World leaders for the umpteenth time to intervene to stop the persecution of Christians in Nigeria by armed Jihadists kidnappers.”

Related Topics:Buhari Catholic Priest HURIWA

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27-year-old Man Dies Inside Deep Well In Ogbomoso

Published

1 hour ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

The corpse of a 27-year-old man identified as Alagbe Gbemisoye has been recovered from a deep well at Ire-Akari, Adeniran area of Ogbomoso, Oyo State.

His body was retrieved by officials of the Oyo State Fire Service after passersby alerted them to the incident.

The circumstances that led to the deceased falling into the well were still unclear as of the time of filing this report.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Fire Reforms and Chairman, Fire Services, Moroof Akinwande, said his men were alerted by a running caller and Mr Ajayi Olayemi.

“Fire personnel led by CFM Oladejo promptly deployed to the scene. On arrival, it was discovered that a man of about 27 years old, named Alagbe Gbemisoye, had fallen into a deep well. His body was recovered and handed over to the DPO, Owode Police Station,” he said.

Akinwande urged the public to always observe safety precautions in their daily activities and emphasised the importance of having fire extinguishers in their homes to prevent fire incidents.

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Bauchi Records 75 Homicide Cases, 28 Kidnapping Cases, Others – Official

Published

1 hour ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

The Bauchi state Ministry of Justice says it recorded nothing less than 75 homicide cases, 28 kidnapping cases and 86 cases of rape in the 2024-2025 legal year.

Barr. Hassan Usman (SAN), the Bauchi state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, stated this in Bauchi on Tuesday during the commencement of the 2025-2026 legal year ceremony.

“In criminal cases from January to date, we received a total of 91 robbery cases, as against last year which was 83 and we received 75 homicide cases.

“We were served with motions for bails and other motions totalling about 256 and we received about 86 rape cases and 28 kidnapping cases.

“In total, we received a total number of 592 criminal cases and out of this number, 97 have been disposed of, 15 were discharged through legal advice, 454 are pending,” said the Commissioner.

According to him, given the high volume of cases recorded, the Ministry developed strategies to fast-track prosecutions in line with the administration of criminal justice law that emphasised speedy trials by setting timelines of filing charges in court and proceeding.

While explaining that Gov. Bala Mohammed approved the release of N7.8 million for the purchase of law and other practice books for their library, Usman added that Mohammed also approved the release of monthly funds to settle all outstanding judgement debts owed by the state government.

He appreciated the governor for his benevolence, unwavering commitment and exceptional support for the Ministry of Justice in the state.

Earlier speaking, Justice Rabi Umar, the State’s Chief Judge, lamented the recurrent practice of arraigning suspects in court without proper preliminary investigations.

She added that in many cases, efforts to gather evidence were only initiated after the trial had begun.

“This backward approach to criminal prosecution significantly delays the process and undermines the delivery of justice.

“It is unacceptable that in 2025, we continue to see such practices, which contributed to the overwhelming backlog of cases in our courts and ultimately eroded public confidence in the Justice System.

“To resolve this and other identified lapses, a Committee was set up to review the Bauchi state Administration of Criminal Justice Law and come up with a Draft Law that will stand the test of time,” she said.

She however, affirmed that any lawyer that didn’t adhere to the prescribed dress code for legal practitioners in the state would not be permitted to appear in court, adding that such a disregard for professional decorum undermined the prestige and global respect that the legal profession commands.

In his speech, governor Mohammed said that the three arms of government in the state had been working harmoniously and in synergy without compromising their constitutional autonomy.

Represented by his deputy, Alh. Auwal Jatau, Mohammed said that he has been giving the two other arms of government the necessary support and cooperation to ensure that they all operated optimally without any hindrance.

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HIV: 29,874 Bauchi Residents Under Treatment, 650 Infants Recover From Infection – Commissioner

Published

2 hours ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

The Bauchi State Government has said that it is currently treating a total of 29,874 people living with HIV with Antiretroviral treatment across the state.

Dr. Sani Mohammed Danbam, the Commissioner for Health and Social Welfare, disclosed this while speaking at a press conference jointly held with partners to commemorate the 2025 World Aids Day.

According to him, HIV affects the most vulnerable in society: the poor, the uneducated, the marginalized, women, and children.

He said AIDS remains incurable, but no longer has to be a death sentence.

Speaking on the HIV situation in the State, Danbam said, “as of today, a total of 29,874 people living with HIV are receiving (Antiretroviral Therapy) ART and the State has scaled up to 863 HTS/PMTCT facilities, where the general population and pregnant women receive free HIV services.

“This year, we have successfully placed 2,246 newly diagnosed HIV-positive individuals on antiretroviral treatment, and over 650 HIV-exposed infants have achieved 100% early infant diagnosis and remain free from HIV infection.”

This year’s theme for World Aids Day: ‘Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response’, Danbam said is to reflect the challenges caused by recent funding cuts and other setbacks, and “it reminds us of the need to build a stronger, more resilient and rights-focused approach as we work toward ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.”

Also, the Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Diene Keita, noted that in spite of advancements in medical technologies and public policies, progress made over decades was increasingly jeopardised, with prevention gains eroding as essential services struggled to reach people at elevated risk.

Represented by Deborah Tabara, Gender/Reproductive Health Analyst & State Programme Officer, UNFPA Bauchi, stressed that severe cuts in international aid were destabilising HIV prevention efforts, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where millions relied on donor-supported programmes to access accurate information, prevention tools and essential community-based support.

According to Keita, almost 2.5 million people have lost access to lifesaving Pre-exposure Prophylaxis due to shrinking resources, with countries recording half of last year’s new HIV infections experiencing the harshest consequences from dwindling funding.

Tackling gender inequality, violence and stigma in healthcare systems and societies more broadly will be instrumental in reducing factors that put people at risk of HIV. Integrating HIV services into routine sexual and reproductive healthcare, including family planning and maternal health, would make them more readily available to many women and girls.

“At this crossroads in the AIDS response, UNFPA continues to support countries in sustaining and improving HIV prevention, particularly for adolescent girls, young women and key populations, along with providing treatment and related services.

“The combined efforts of governments, international organisations, activists and communities have led to remarkable progress on HIV, saving nearly 27 million lives to date. Now, we need to come together and finish what we know works and what we know is possible – an AIDS-free future for all.”