The Department of Church and Society, an arm of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, reported on Wednesday that approximately 39 Catholic priests have been killed and 30 abducted since 2012. In the same period, 17 catechists and more than 3,500 Catholic faithful have also been assassinated. The organization noted that there have been 47 recorded attacks on the Catholic Church in Nigeria.
These figures were released amid protests over the killing of Rev. Fr. Isaac Achi by suspected Boko Haram bandits in Kafin‑Koro, Minna, Niger State. Rev. Fr. Uchechukwu Obodoechina, Director of the Department of Church and Society and Executive Director of Caritas Nigeria, led a press briefing in Abuja. He condemned the murder of Fr. Achi, the deaths of other priests, and the broader violence against Nigerians of all faiths as unacceptable. Obodoechina stressed that the systematic targeting of the Church has made Christians in Nigeria an endangered species and highlighted the extensive list of attacks that have occurred since 2012.
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