Authorities complicit in priest kidnappings, says Nigerian researcher

‘Law enforcement, security, and defence operations are biased, discriminatory, and seemingly favourable to jihadist groups,’ said Emeka Umeagbalasi.

A Catholic researcher and criminologist accused the Nigerian government and its military of complicity in religious persecution, amid a recent surge in clergy abductions,

At least seven Catholic priests have been kidnapped in Nigeria since January. Among them, Fr Sylvester Okechukwu, a priest of the Diocese of Kafanchan in Kaduna State, was kidnapped on the night of 4 March, and his dead body was found early the next day, Ash Wednesday.

“Fr Sylvester was a dedicated servant of God who worked selflessly in the vineyard of the Lord, spreading the message of peace, love, and hope,” said Fr Jacob Shanet, chancellor of the diocese in a statement.

“This untimely and brutal loss has left us heartbroken and devastated,” he said, and noted that his untimely death “has left an indelible void within our diocesan family, and we share in the pain of his passing with his family, friends, and all those who knew and loved him”.

Elsewhere, Fr Philip Ekweli of the Diocese of Auchi in Edo State was kidnapped alongside a seminarian on 3 March, while Fr Livinus Maurice, parish priest of St Patrick’s Church in Isokpo, Rivers State, was abducted alongside two others while returning from a hospital visit on 12 February. 

None of the five had been released by the end of last week, though police shot dead a suspect while pursuing Fr Ekweli’s kidnappers. In Adamawa State on Sunday, police rescued two priests, Fr Abraham Samman of the Diocese of Yola and Fr Mathew David Dusam of the Diocese of Jalingo, who they said had been abducted by a parishioner on 22 February.

The wave of kidnappings and killings reflected the worsening state of freedom of worship in the country.  Contrary to claims that the Nigerian government and military are fighting the scourge, Emeka Umeagbalasi – who chairs the board of the Catholic-inspired International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety) – accused the military not only of complicity in the abductions and killings, but also of perpetrating some of the killings.

“On 7 January 2017, Nigerian military warplanes, according to Amnesty International, fired upon a Christian-dominated area in Numan, Adamawa State,” Umeagbalasi told The Tablet.

“While the military aircraft were bombing the Christian villagers, killing many, ground forces reportedly targeted those attempting to escape,” he explained. “By the end of the attack, over 80 Christians had lost their lives. The military later issued a statement claiming that the villagers had been mistaken for an assemblage of Boko Haram militants.”

He said a similar incident was reported in December 2017 when the military targeted a Christian village in Kalabage Local Government Area of Borno State, killing nearly 276 people.

Umeagbalasi said the complicity of the Nigerian military “is rooted in the fact that their law enforcement, security, and defence operations are biased, discriminatory, and seemingly favourable to jihadist groups”.

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