Nigeria’s Anglican Church has confirmed that a priest abducted in Kaduna State last month was killed by his captors, underscoring the country’s worsening security crisis amid a surge in mass kidnappings across the north.
Archbishop Henry Ndukuba announced that Rev. Edwin Achi — kidnapped alongside his wife and daughter on 28 October — was “brutally murdered after a full month in captivity.” His wife and daughter remain in the hands of the abductors.
According to the Church’s statement, the gunmen initially demanded a ransom of ₦600 million (about $416,000), later reducing it to ₦200 million. Despite negotiations, Achi was killed. Kaduna State police have yet to comment.
The killing comes as Nigeria witnesses a new wave of high-profile abductions. In recent weeks, armed groups kidnapped 25 schoolgirls in Kebbi State, followed by the abduction of more than 300 students and teachers from a Catholic school in Niger State — prompting several northern states to shut down schools.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has described the situation as a “national emergency,” directing the recruitment of 50,000 additional police officers and cancelling foreign trips to oversee the response.
The spike in violence has drawn international concern. Former U.S. President Donald Trump called the situation in Nigeria “a disgrace,” warning that Washington could suspend aid or consider “military steps” if Abuja fails to protect Christian communities.
Archbishop Ndukuba urged the government to identify “the financiers and facilitators of this wave of terror” and demanded the immediate release of Achi’s wife and daughter.
The latest killing adds to mounting pressure on Tinubu’s government, which is struggling to contain criminal gangs whose operations now span multiple states and frequently target schools, religious institutions, and rural communities.
