“Not acceptable!”: Regional Catholic Bishops Condemn Rise in Kidnappings, Killings of Priests in West Africa

In the statement, they have noted that in the past five years, many Priests and Religious have been either kidnapped for ransom or kidnapped and killed. 

The violence, RECOWA members say, has particularly become rampant in countries like Burkina Faso, Mali and especially Nigeria.

In Nigeria, they recount that not a month passes by without the news of the kidnapping of a Priest or Religious being received and a call for prayer made by the Local Ordinaries and Superiors for their release. 

Insecurity is rife in Nigeria, where kidnappings, murder and other forms of persecution against Christians remain rampant in many parts of the West African country, especially in the north.

According to Catholic Pontifical and charity foundation, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International, a total of 13 Catholic Priests were kidnapped in Nigeria in 2024 alone.

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In the latest incident, Fr. Sylvester Okechukwu of the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan was murdered on Ash Wednesday, a day after his abduction on March 4.

The study documented in the Religious Freedom Report 2023 on Christian persecution, which ACN published painted a grim picture of Africa.

In their statement dated February 21, RECOWA members decried the persecution of Catholic Priests and Religious in particular, whose lives they said, are devoted to service.

“Priests and Religious are dedicated to the service of God and humanity,” the Bishops of West Africa said, and added, “Like every other human person, their life is sacred. Their life and merger resources are devoted to helping the poor and the marginalized of our society, to the education of our children, and to the propagation of the Good news of Jesus Christ.”

Catholic Priest and women and men Religious, RECOWA members said, aim to make the world more human and godlier.

They appealed to Christians and the people of good will in the West African region to pray fervently “for a West Africa that is pacified and safe”.

RECOWA members further called on those responsible for the protection of life and properties in the region, notably the Heads of States and the Heads of the Security Corps of the States “to rise up to the challenge.”

“Without their conscious, concrete and effective commitment to securing the region, things would only get worse,” they said.

The Catholic Bishops further encouraged the Clergy and women and men Religious serving in the hostile region to remain steadfast in responding to the demands of their holy vocation.

They appealed to Catholic Priests in particular to remain committed to serving the poor and the marginalized and in bringing the light of Christ to the places they described as “dark areas of our West African region” without giving way to fear.

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Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor's Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communications from Kenya's Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.