Two Catholic priests in northern Nigeria have been abducted after unidentified gunmen attacked their residence last week.

The kidnappers stormed St. Patrick Catholic Church in Katsina state in the early hours of 25 May, seizing Fr. Stephen Ojapa, Fr. Oliver Okpara, and two other people.

The director of social communications for the Sokoto diocese confirmed the incident in a statement and urged the faithful to pray for the safe return of the abductees.

The statement noted that there is no information as to the whereabouts of the four people seized during the raid.

This latest abduction is the latest in a series of kidnappings and attacks that target church institutions, priests and religious men and women.

Earlier this month, the Archdiocese of Kaduna announced the death of Fr. Joseph Aketeh Bako who died in captivity after being abducted in March by gunmen from his residence in St. John Catholic Church, Kudenda, where he had been serving as parish priest.

Nigeria, especially the northern region, has been facing security challenges in the past years, fueled by the activities of the Boko Haram Islamic extremist group, as well as clashes between nomadic herdsmen and the local indigenous farmers.