For him, “The murder of Fr. Okechukwu is not just an attack on the Church but a direct affront to the values of justice, peace, and human dignity.”
Attacks on the Clergy and Catholics have become frequent in various Nigerian Local Government Areas (LGAs), Bishop Yakubu says, and goes on to recall previous deadly attacks in his Episcopal See.
“This is not an isolated tragedy. We painfully recall the murder of Catechist Raymond Ya'u on July 21, 2021, in Matyei, Zangon Kataf LGA; Very Rev. Fr Johnmark Cheitnum, who was abducted and murdered on July 14, 2022, at Yadin Garu, Lere LGA; Seminarian Naaman Stephen Ngofe, a 25-year-old seminarian murdered in Fadan Kamantan, Zangon Kataf, LGA, on September 7, 2023; and Catechist Istifanus Katunku, abducted on July 4, 2024, at Kagal, Zangon Kataf, LGA, whose whereabouts remain unknown,” he recalls.
The Local Ordinary of Kafanchan Diocese since his Episcopal Consecration in February 2020 laments, “These atrocities deepen our sorrow and reinforce our demand for justice.”
He goes on to condemn the widespread kidnappings affecting Catholic communities across several Nigerian LGAs, including Kauru, Kaura, Lere, and Zangon Kataf, “where criminals continue to wreak havoc on innocent lives.”
“The outrageous ransoms demanded for their release not only devastate families but also pose a severe threat to food security and the general well-being of the people in Kafanchan Diocese and Southern Kaduna as a whole,” the Catholic Bishop further laments.
He continues, “The kidnappings have left communities in fear, disrupted livelihoods, and intensified economic hardship in an already struggling region.”
“I received the news from the Parish Priest of St Mathew Catholic Church Anchuna, Ikulu Chiefdom, Zangon Kataf LGA, of the abduction of about six of his Parishioners, among whom is the wife of Catechist Sunday Agachuwang, one of our pastoral agents,” Bishop Kundi reveals.
In response to the increasing attacks, the Nigerian Catholic Church leader expresses openness to collaborating with security personnel and other relevant governmental authorities to protect the Clergy and the faithful under his pastoral care.
“We recognize the ever-increasing threat to the security of our Priests and the faithful. In the face of such barbarity, the Diocese is open to any collaboration with security personnel and governmental authorities to address these growing dangers. However, we cannot remain silent as our people live in fear, uncertain of what the future holds,” Bishop Yakubu says.
