The head of the Church of Nigeria has announced that Reverend Edwin Ache, who was kidnapped along with his family in Kaduna State, has been killed one month after his abduction.
Archbishop Henry Ndukuba confirmed that the priest’s family remains in captivity, with the kidnappers initially demanding a ransom of 600 million naira (around $416,000), later reducing it to 200 million.
The incident comes amid a surge in kidnappings in northern Nigeria, where 25 female students and 300 students and teachers from a Catholic school were recently abducted.
President Bola Tinubu described the situation as a “national emergency” and ordered the recruitment of 50,000 police officers to confront the crisis.
The attacks have drawn international concern, with U.S. President Donald Trump criticizing the situation in Nigeria and warning of its implications for American assistance.
Archbishop Ndukuba urged the government to identify the financiers behind this wave of violence and to secure the immediate release of the priest’s family.
