Posts Tagged ‘Nigeria’

My parishioners shot dead in cold blood

Monday, March 13th, 2023

“Oh, what sorrow to have watched three of my parishioners shot dead in cold blood, right before my eyes — and I couldn’t do anything,” Nigerian parish priest Father Bako Francis Awesuh, 37, shared in a new Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) report published Friday. “I couldn’t pray because of the shock I Read more

Journalist who reported on massacre of Nigerian Christians to stand trial for “cyberstalking”

Monday, August 22nd, 2022

A journalist who wrote an article accusing the Nigerian government of failing to protect Christians threatened by armed militants was arrested and will be tried on charges of “cyberstalking”. Luka Binniyat, a Catholic human rights reporter, is facing prison after writing an article in which the Nigerian government was criticised for its inaction in the Read more

Catholics targeted in Nigerian abductions and killings

Monday, July 25th, 2022
abductions and killings

Catholics appear to be the targets of numerous planned Nigerian abductions and killings. In a recent example last month, two priests were abducted from a parish function at a Catholic Church in Kaduna state. Four days later the murdered body (pictured left) of one was found. The other (pictured right) escaped. A statement from the Read more

No Mass without a permanent voter card

Thursday, June 16th, 2022
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Some  Catholic priests in Nigeria are telling parishioners if they don’t have a Permanent Voter Card (PVC), they won’t be allowed to come to Sunday Mass. The Independent National Electoral Commission issues the cards. The priests justified their stance in denying entry to those without a PVC, telling them it’s because “there is no way Read more

Priest abducted in southern Nigeria freed

Monday, March 9th, 2020

A diocesan priest abducted from southern Nigeria is now free after being held in captivity for nearly three days. “I have been reliably informed that Father David Echioda has been released by his abductors. Thank you for your prayers and support during this difficult time,” said an official of the Diocese of Otukpo in a Read more

Hundreds of abused men rescued from Nigerian Quranic school

Monday, October 21st, 2019

Police have freed more than 300 young men from torture and abuse in a Quranic school in northern Nigeria. A police raid on Oct. 14 found them chained and subjected to various physical abuses inside the boarding school based in Katsina. Katsina’s police chief Sanusi Buba told reporters that the house had more than 300 Read more

Christian genocide results in 6,000 deaths since January

Thursday, July 5th, 2018

Christian genocide has led to the murder of about 6,000 Nigerians since January. Most of the dead are women and children. Hard on the heels of the murder of 238 Christians in Plateau State the weekend before last, a church, hospital and some 17 houses were torched in a central Nigerian village during an hour-long Read more

Boko Haram burns Catholic building

Thursday, June 14th, 2018

A Catholic building used as a religious instruction centre was one of 22 buildings burned by Boko Haram militants during an attack on Monday in northwestern Nigeria. The centre had only recently been rebuilt after Boko Haram destroyed it in 2014. Read more

War declared by Nigerian bishop

Thursday, May 31st, 2018

War has been declared by Paulinus Ezeokafor, Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese in Nigeria, following an attack on a seminary. During the attack, a priest was shot and two people “mercilessly beaten.” The perpetrators also shot continuously at seminary rector’s residence. The attack was allegedly carried out by Fulani herdsmen on Monday. In response, Ezeokafor Read more

Attack was satanic: congregation and priests killed at Mass

Thursday, April 26th, 2018

In an attack described as satanic, two priests are among the dead after gunmen attacked a Catholic church in Nigeria. The exact number of dead and wounded is not clear. Between 15 and 19 people are said to have died while numerous others were shot. The Ayar-Mbalom community is located in Nigeria’s “Middle Belt” where Read more