At the beginning of March, a group of armed men broke into the premises of the Catholic Church of St. Peter, Diocese of Auchi, Nigeria, and kidnapped Fr. Philip Ekweli and a seminarian named Peter Andrew. For over a week, there has been no news about their whereabouts and conditions until March 13.

That day, as a statement released by the Auchi Diocese says, Father Ekweli has been released safely after ten days of captivity and is under medical care. His release was a joyous event, but with it, sorrowful news came.

“Unfortunately, however, the 21-year-old Major Seminarian, Andrew Peter, who was kidnapped along with Fr. Ekweli, was gruesomely murdered by the abductors”

says the statement from the diocese. Bishop Gabriel Ghiakhomo Dunia, bishop of Auchi, called out the Federal Government on the forever worsening security situation in the country, especially in the Edo North district in Edo State. Forwarding the bishop’s message, Fr. Egielewa said,

“People are not safe on the roads, in their farms, and even in their homes. This is unacceptable when there are elected officials whose duty it is to protect the people.”

He also thanked the local government for their best efforts but condemned the police for not taking the necessary measures to free the kidnapped and often leaving the matter to their families and local communities. As Fr. Egielewa reads in the statement,

“In the last ten years, Auchi Diocese has had six of her Priests kidnapped, tortured and released, three attacked but escaped, and one (Fr. Christopher Odia) brutally murdered in 2022 and now Seminarian Andrew Peter also murdered.”

The kidnapping and murder of clergymen by armed groups is a widespread problem in Nigeria. Prior to the tragic death of seminarian Andrew Peter, Father Sylvester Okechukwu, parish priest of the Church of St. Mary Tachira, was killed by his abductors in March.

Source: ACI Africa

Photo: Diocese of Auchi