He’s “unreachable on his phone”: Catholic Archbishop in Tanzania Appeals for Assistance in Locating Missing Priest

“The house attendant was surprised to find that the items the Priest was supposed to collect before traveling were still there. The room door was locked, but the key had not been returned,” states the Tanzanian Catholic Church leader.

He says attempts to reach Fr. Nikata, including “calling his phone and checking with those who had been staying with him at the Priests’ house,” proved “unsuccessful.”

“His phone could not be reached, and no one knew where he had gone,” he says in the statement that Tumani Media shared on October 10, noting that “at Mwanza, where he was expected to arrive, he has not been seen or heard from either.”

He further notes that, “At Mwanza, where he was expected to arrive, he has not been seen or heard from either. The SUPERFEO Bus Office confirmed that although Fr. Nikata had purchased a ticket, he did not board the bus.”

The Local Ordinary of the Archdiocese of Songea, who has been at the helm since his Episcopal installation in May 2014, said the matter has been reported to local security agencies “after unsuccessful attempts to locate him in all places where we thought he might be.”

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Meanwhile, security agencies in Ruvuma Province, in the southeastern part of Tanzania, have confirmed, in a video recording, receiving a report from the Archdiocese of Songea concerning the disappearance of the Catholic Priest.

In their statement published October 9, the police say the leadership of the Tanzanian Archdiocese reported the Priest, “a native of Hanga area in Songea, arrived in Songea on October 3, 2025, from Dodoma, accompanied by a fellow lecturer who is also a Priest of the Songea Archdiocese.”

“On the evening of October 7, 2025, Fr. Nkata was last seen with his colleague in the church neighborhood along the main road, carrying a small bag in his hand and walking towards the old Mfananyaki bus terminal. Since that day, he did not return to his residence at the Archdiocese,” the police say, referring to the statement the Archdiocese made at the Songea Central Police Station on the disappearance. 

Members of the law enforcement agency appeal “to all well-meaning members of the public who may have any information that could assist in locating Fr. Nkata to report it at any nearby police station or directly to the Ruvuma Regional Police Commander.”

Nicholas Waigwa is a Kenyan multimedia journalist and broadcast technician with a professional background in creating engaging news stories and broadcasting content across multiple media platforms. He is passionate about the media apostolate and Catholic Church communication.