Hours after Christian Leaders Appeal to President, Head of Methodist Church Released

In the statement signed by the Special Assistant to CAN President, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, the Christian leaders said the abduction of a renowned Methodist Bishop without any intervention from the security officers “speaks volume of what our security architecture has become.”

CAN officials expressed concern about the West African country’s worsening insecurity saying, “This is no more a country one can be proud of.” 

They said the situation in Nigeria “is not good for our nation at all” and that “no reasonable government can continue to leave the citizens in a terrible state of insecurity as we are presently.”

Africa’s most populous country has been experiencing insecurity since 2009 when Boko Haram insurgency began with the aim of turning the country into an Islamic state.

The group has been organizing random terrorist attacks on various targets, including religious and political groups as well as civilians.

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The security situation in Nigeria has been worsened by the involvement of the predominantly Muslim Fulani herdsmen who have been conflicting with Christian farmers.

Kidnappings for ransom have also become common in the country. 

The abduction of the head of the Methodist church in Nigeria and clerics who accompanied are the latest incidents of attacks targeting Christian leaders in Africa’s most populous nation.

On May 25, two Catholic Priests serving in the Diocese of Sokoto were kidnapped after gunmen broke into their residence at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Gidan Maikambo, Kafur LGA of Katsina State. 

Fr. Stephen Ojapah, a member of the Missionary Society of Saint Paul of Nigeria, Fr. Oliver Okpara, and two boys who were at the Priests’ residence are yet to be traced. 

In the May 30 statement, CAN officials called “on Christians and well-meaning Nigerians to join us in praying for” the immediate release of those who remain in the hands of their captors.

Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.