Abducted Seminarians’ Parents in Nigeria Cautioned against “fear, threats, intimidation”

“I was informed of the attack around 11 p.m. From that moment, I did not sleep. I stayed up the entire night making calls to notify relevant authorities and Church contacts across the country,” he recalled the events of July 10 at Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary of his Episcopal See.

According to the Local Ordinary of Auchi Diocese, the attack happened when a small group of Seminarians, likely Sacristans, were preparing the chapel for morning Mass. 

The security officer assigned to guard the premises was inside the chapel with the Seminarians, when the gunmen stormed the facility and shot him dead.

The late security officer, Bishop Dunia told ACI Africa, “was not at the gate as initially thought. He was right there inside the chapel with the students. That was where he was killed.”

While four students were initially present, only three were confirmed kidnapped, he further said. 

Bishop Dunia faulted the security arrangements on the fateful night, disclosing that more than 50 security personnel, including civil defense officers and local vigilantes, were supposed to be stationed across the Seminary grounds.

“There were supposed to be five civil defense officers and ten local vigilantes stationed around the compound, at the gates and behind the Seminary. I don’t understand why they weren’t there. We had even paid for the deployment of mobile police (MOPOL) units to provide permanent security, yet they never resumed work,” he lamented.

The Local Ordinary of Auchi Diocese since his Episcopal Consecration in February 2003 recalled a similar incident in October 2024, when the Rector of the Nigerian Minor Seminary was kidnapped during evening prayer. The Sunday, 24 October 2024 incident, prompted the Diocese to beef up security around the Seminary premises.  

“We had made efforts to secure the place, both through local arrangements and with government agencies. We truly did not expect this to happen again. It is a major disappointment,” Bishop Dunia told ACI Africa.

He blamed the attack on what he described as an inside job, which he said is a concern that has become common in rural areas plagued by insecurity. 

“There’s always suspicion of insider involvement; no successful operation of this magnitude happens without internal compromise. It’s not just our Seminary — this is true for many communities in the region,” he told ACI Africa during the July 13 WhatsApp interview.

While he said that the motive of the killing of the security officer and abduction of the three Seminarians is unclear, Bishop Dunia believes the attackers are driven by financial gain rather than ideological or personal grievances. 

“The Seminarians and Priests have done nothing to offend anyone. The attackers are simply looking for ransom; that’s all. It is unjustifiable. That Seminary is located in a remote, peaceful environment and should never have become a target,” he said.

He disclosed that the Seminary is of historic and spiritual significance, being on the same site where St. Martins Major seminary, which he said was the first Major Seminary in West Africa, was established in 1908. The Seminary was later transferred to Asaba in Issele-Uku Catholic Diocese, Delta State in 1922, Bishop Dunia told ACI Africa.

Regarding the whereabouts of the kidnapped Seminarians, Bishop Dunia said he had not yet received direct communication from the abductors. 

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“To the best of my knowledge, the Diocese has not been contacted for ransom,” he said, though he remains in regular contact with Priests on the ground.

The Catholic Bishop appealed to all levels of government — local, state, and federal — to take decisive action to address the challenge of insecurity, and explained, “There is a vast forest stretching between Edo and Kogi States, and that forest is where these criminals hide and launch their attacks. The government knows how to deal with this — they have the intelligence and the resources — but they must act.”

He warned, “If nothing is done, communities will be abandoned, and these criminals will take over our land. We must not allow this to happen.”

To ensure the safety of the remaining Seminarians and prevent further trauma, the Catholic Bishop said the Diocese had taken steps to relocate students temporarily and implement psychological support programs.

Students will be moved to a secure location to write their final exams for the 2024–2025 academic year, he said, and recalled, “After the previous attack, we moved the students elsewhere, brought in more security, and only then allowed them to return briefly for exams. We will follow a similar plan now.”

The Nigerian Catholic Bishop further said, “Psychosocial and emotional support for the affected students is also being arranged. We won’t ignore that.”

Despite the grim reality, Bishop Dunia remains hopeful. “We pray that this storm will pass and that the Seminary will return to life. It affects our work of evangelization, but we trust that God will sustain His Church,” he told ACI Africa on July 13.