By TINA TIMOTHY

No fewer than 60 ordained Christian Ministers of God have been abducted and 15 killed in Nigeria by Islamic Jihadists terrorists and Fulani herdsmen, International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has said.

The group, in a press statement on Monday, November 7, 2022 in Onitsha, Eastern Nigeria signed by its International Principal Officers; Emeka Umeagbalasi, Chinwe Umeche Esquire, Chidinma Udegbunam Esquire and Ndidiamaka Chinaza Bernard Esquire, said the victims included Catholic Priests, Reverend Sisters, Pastors, a Seminarian and “scores of other Christian Ministers of God.”

“No fewer than 60 abductions associated with ordained Christian Ministers of God have taken place in the past ten months of 2022. According to a data compiled by the Aid to the Church in Need Int’l (ACN), released on 11th July 2022, “Eighteen Catholic Priests have been abducted in Nigeria between January and first week of July 2022 and five of them abducted in the first week of July 2022 alone”. The number of abducted Catholic Priests has since risen to 26. On 15th July 2022, for instance, two more Catholic Priests (Reverend Fathers John Mark Cheitnum and Donatus Cleopas of Christ the King Catholic Church in Kafanchan, Kaduna State) were abducted and shortly thereafter on 19th July, Father Cheitnum was killed. On Friday, 12th August 2022, Reverend Father Chinedu Nwadike (Cssp) and a young Seminarian, Emmanuel Nwafor (Pre Prostulant) were abducted by Jihadist Fulani terrorists at Umunneochi, along same Enugu-Okigwe-Port-Harcourt Expressway. On Sunday, 21st August 2022, four Reverend Sisters (Johannes Nwodo, Christabel Echemazu, Liberata Mbamalu and Benita Agu) were abducted by Jihadists at Okigwe. The four Catholic Priests so far killed this year by the Islamic Jihadists are Reverend Fathers Bako, Borogo, Odia and Cheitnum. According to Morning Star News of 2nd August 2022, quoting officials of ECWA Church for All Nation in Nigeria, “six Pastors of the Church were killed by Islamic Jihadists between January and July 2022 alone and 27 of their members abducted”. Scores of other Christian Ministers of God have been killed by the Jihadists between January and Oct 2022,” Intersociety stated.

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