152 clerics attacked in 13 months – Report

no between January 2022 and January 2023, fewer than 152 Christian clergy were attacked by non-state actors in 39 incidents.

Of those attacked, 33 were kidnapped, while six were killed.

A total of 17 churches were also attacked during the reporting period.

A breakdown of the geopolitical zones, according to a report from SBM Intelligence, showed that 12 of the incidents were recorded in the North Central; North West had nine; Southeast five; South South had five; Northeast four and Southwest four.

According to the armed group’s dissemination, kidnappers were responsible for 28 incidents. Shepherds, three; Indigenous people of Biafra, two; Boko Haram, two; mob violence, one, and bandits were responsible for one.

The report added: “2022 has been a terrible year for the clergy. No one in that group suffered more than Catholic priests who at one point were subjected to near-daily kidnappings with ransom demands averaging N50 million per priest.

“While there were genuine fears that these kidnappings were a targeted persecution of the Christian faith, the financial necessity of a holy kidnapping has somewhat overshadowed such concerns.

In total there were 39 incidents. The total number of priests killed is six; the total number of kidnapped priests equals 29; the total number of ministers kidnapped is four; the total number of churches attacked is 17 and the total number of casualties in incidents involving Christian clergy is 152.

In North-Central, 12 incidents were recorded, nine in North-West, five in South-East, five in South-South, four in North-East and four in South-West.”

The organizer of Unlimited Generation International Ministry, the prophet Anuoluwapo Oloruntuyi, condemned the attacks on clerics in the country, adding that the act is severely punished spiritually.

He said, “The shedding of the blood of innocent people is a praiseworthy act according to Exodus 20:13, where God sternly warned us not to take the life of another fellow. We are not talking about clergy anointed and appointed by God to carry out a mission for him.

“We are playing with fire in this land. One hundred and fifty-two clerics in one year? Let’s recall what happened between Cain and Abel in Genesis 4:15, laced with the warning in Psalm 105:14-16 that no one should touch his anointed .