A seminarian kidnapped on March 3 In the parish house of a church in the diocese of Auchi, Nigeria, he was killed by his captors, confirmed a diocese official. The priest who was kidnapped next to him has been released.
In a statement shared with Aci Africa – agricultural agency of the ACI group – on March 15, the communications director of the Diocese of Auchi, Fr. Peter Egielewa, confirmed the release of Fr. Philip Ekweli around the 4 PM (local time) on Thursday, March 13, ending 10 days of captivity in the hands of his kidnappers.
Receive the main news of ACI Press by WhatsApp and Telegram
It is increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social networks. Subscribe to our free channels today:
“Now he is receiving adequate medical care,” said Fr. Egielewa.
“Unfortunately, Seminarista Andrew Peter, 21, kidnapped together with Fr. Ekweli, was brutally murdered by the captors,” the statement continued. He also expressed “sincere condolences” to Peter’s relatives, asking God to grant them comfort and strength. “May your soul rest in peace,” he said.
Fr. Ekweli and Andrew Peter were kidnapped from the parish house of the Church of San Pedro in Iviukhua-Agenebode, in the local government area of Etsako East, state of Edo. Armed men attacked both the parish house and the church, destroyed doors and windows and took them to the nearby jungle.
In the March 14 statement, Fr. Egielewa indicated that the local bishop, Mons. Gabriel Ghiakhomo Dunia, expressed his “gratitude to all for the prayers and the moral support received while Fr. Ekweli and the seminarian were in captivity.”
The Prelate urged the state and federal government of Nigeria, as well as the country’s security agencies, to “stop the deterioration of the security situation in northern Edo and other parts of the state, which has become a safe refuge for kidnappers, who operate at will while people feel helpless and abandoned.”
The bishop also asked the government to take proactive measures and allocate the necessary resources to the north of Edo to guarantee the safety of the lives and assets of the population. Life has been hell for our people in recent times. “
“People are not sure on roads, in their farms and even in their homes. This is unacceptable when there are elected officials whose duty is to protect the people,” he denounced.
Mons. Ghiakhomo thanked the government of the State of Edo for its “sincere efforts in the liberation of the victims”, but expressed its discontent with the response of the police, urging it to implement better strategies for the rescue of kidnapped instead of leaving the load completely in the hands of family, friends and acquaintances of the victims.
In the March 14 statement, Fr. Egielewa regretted that “in the last 10 years, six priests of the Diocese of Auchi have been kidnapped, tortured and then released, three have been attacked but managed to escape, and one, Fr. Christopher Hate, was brutally murdered in 2022. Now, the seminarista Andrew Peter has also been murdered.”
Insecurity is a serious problem in Nigeria, where kidnappings, murders and other forms of persecution against Christians are frequent in many regions of the country, especially in the north.
Nigeria has faced a security crisis since 2009, when Boko Haram’s insurgency began with the aim of turning the country into an Islamic State. Catholic bishops in the country have repeatedly urged the government to give priority to the safety of its citizens.
Translated and adapted by ACI Press. Originally published in ACO Africa.
Jude Atemanke
Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist passionate about the communication of the Catholic Church. It has a degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude works as a journalist for aci Africa.