SW News: A Catholic priest has been brutally killed in Nigeria, grappling with the Islamist insurgency. Fr Charles Onomhoale Igechi of the Benin City Archdiocese was shot dead on June 7 in Edo State. Archbishop Augustine Akubeze of Benin Archdiocese said the priest was killed while returning from his pastoral duties.
"With great shock, we received the news this morning that he was shot on his way back to his place of assignment, and his remains were found by Boundary Street in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area,"said Archbishop Akubeze.
The Nigerian Archbishop appealed for prayers for the soul of Fr. Charles. He said there would be Mass for the peaceful repose of the priest on June 9 at the Bishop Kelly Pastoral Centre Chapel.
Fr. Charles served as the Vice Principal of St. Michaels College and was to mark his first priestly ordination anniversary in August. This becomes the latest in a series of attacks that have targeted members of the clergy in Africa's most populous nation.
Meanwhile, Fulani terrorists have reportedly killed at least 300 Christians and destroyed 28 churches in Nigeria's Plateau state since mid-May. According to local sources, the Islamic extremists also displaced 30,000 Christians and destroyed 2,000 homes in recent attacks.
The Christian population in Nigeria has faced a growing persecution threat since Boko Haram's insurgency in the 2010s. While Fulani militants operate in the middle and southern parts of Nigeria, the insurgency and Islamic State West Africa Province predominantly operate in the northeast.
In 2022, Nigeria ranked first in the number of Christians killed, assaulted, or abused and second in the number of Christians displaced and churches attacked, according to the Open Doors 2023 World Watch List report.
A few days ago, Rights outfit Intersociety said in its report that as many as 900 civilians were killed in the past 29 months between January 2021 and May this year in Nigeria's Imo state.