Priest shot in Nigeria - fear and uncertainty in the southeast!

Priest shot in Nigeria - fear and uncertainty in the southeast!

In the southeast of Nigeria, a tragic crime has caused horror: a Catholic priest was shot on the open street on the second Christmas holiday. According to the diocese of Nnewi, the priest wanted to be on a expressway near Anambra when armed people fired from a car. Details on the background and the crime scene have so far been in short supply, as the Catholic news agency Cape reports. The police have not yet officially confirmed the incident, but concern is great because there has been an alarming increase in murder and kidnapping cases in the region. Criminal gangs often demand ransom from the relatives of the victims, which is a threatening reality for believers and clergymen.

further increase in kidnapping

The situation for Catholic priests in Nigeria is becoming increasingly tense. In a similar incident, Kath.net reported that four priests were kidnapped in the state of Delta. This shocking act happened when the clergy were on the way back from an anniversary celebration. Here, too, the exact circumstances of the kidnapping remain unclear. The Diocese of Warri suspects the Fulani rebels behind this act of violence and has now switched on the police. The perpetrators often use such attacks to demand ransoms. While some cases took happiness, many clergymen are still in danger and the parishes are very concerned about the security of their priests.

political tensions in the region reinforce the uncertain location. Again and again such incidents are associated with the IPOP movement that fights for more autonomy in southeastern Nigerians. This situation creates a climate of fear in which crime and religious persecution go hand in hand. The Catholic Church has repeatedly emphasized not to pay ransoms, which continues to make the situation dangerous for the clergymen.