Southern Kaduna, known for incessant attacks by suspected Fulani attackers, has once again been visited by terror as a Catholic priest and 10 others were kidnapped in a fresh raid that left 3 others dead.
Titled, “The abduction of Rev, Fr. Nathaniel Asuwaye and call for prayers,” a report addressed to all priests, religious, lay faithful of Kafanchan Diocese, and people of goodwill dated 7 February and signed by the Diocesan Chancellor, Fr. Dr. Jacob Shanet, Ph.D. read, “with profound sadness, we announce the kidnapping of our priest, Rev. Fr. Nathaniel Asuwaye, the parish of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Karku, Kaura, LGA of Kaduna State, Nigeria.”
The diocesan spokesman disclosed that “the incident has resulted in the killing of three people (Mr Jacob Dan’azumi, Mr. Maitala Kaura and Alhaji Kusari), aside from the abducted…as at the time of writing this report.”
Narrating the ordeal, the Chancellor stated that “Fr. Nathaniel was kidnapped alongside ten (10) people of Karku, Kaura, LGA of Kaduna State, Nigeria.”
According to him, “This terrible event occurred around 03:20 (WAT) at his residence, and the situation was described by the villagers as an act of invasion by a group of terrorists.”
It would be recalled that on Ash Wednesday, 5 March 2025, a priest of Kafanchan Diocese, Fr. Sylvester Okechukwu, 45, was murdered in cold blood after he was kidnapped from his residence around 9:15 p.m. on March 4.
In April, another priest of the same Diocese, Fr. Ibrahim Amos, was kidnapped from his residence at St. Gerald Quasi Parish, in Kurmin Risga, Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, around 12:15 am.
That is not all. On Thursday, 7 September 2025, a similar attack took place at St. Raphael parish, Fadan Kamantan, when a large group of Fulani bandits allegedly attacked and set fire to the rectory around 8 pm local time.
While the parish priest at the time, and former Chancellor, Fr. Emmanuel Okolo, with his assisting priest, escaped the fire, a seminarian, Na’aman Danlami, 25, lost his life in the inferno.
Dozens of priests have lost their lives, and diocesan property worth millions has been lost and destroyed due to the nefarious activities of marauding terrorists across the Diocese without arrest, prosecution or compensation.
With the arbitrary killing of nearly 200 people in western and northern Nigeria, and recent abductions, it is expected that the President Bola Tinubu administration will ensure that security forces hunt the attackers.
Meantime, the church authorities in Kafanchan “kindly invite all priests, Christian faithful, and men and women of goodwill to pray for Fr. Nathaniel, the other ten people, and the repose of the souls of those who were killed during the attack.”
The statement further “entrusts them to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of all priests and help of Christians, for their speedy and safe release from the hands of these evil doers.”
