At least seven Catholic priests have been kidnapped in Nigeria since January. One of them, Fr Sylvester Okechukwu, a priest of the Diocese of Kafanchan in Kaduna State, was kidnapped on the night of 4 March, and found dead early the next day, Ash Wednesday.

Elsewhere, Fr Philip Ekweli of the Diocese of Auchi in Edo State was kidnapped alongside a seminarian on 3 March, while Fr Livinus Maurice, parish priest of St Patrick’s Church in Isokpo, Rivers State, was abducted alongside two others while returning from a hospital visit on 12 February.

None of the five had been released by the end of last week, though police shot dead a suspect while pursuing Fr Ekweli’s kidnappers. In Adamawa State on Sunday, police rescued two priests, Fr Abraham Samman of the Diocese of Yola and Fr Mathew David Dusam of the Diocese of Jalingo, who they said had been abducted by a parishioner on 22 February.