Catholic priests in Imo State staged a solemn protest on Thursday, decrying the abduction of 47 clergy members between 2015 and 2025, with two priests killed by their captors. Gathering at Owerri’s Assumpta Cathedral, the clerics, joined by Archbishop Lucius Ugorji and former Archbishop Anthony Obinna, accused security agencies of failing to curb rising violence they linked to armed Fulani herdsmen.
Rev. Anthony Njoku, addressing journalists, condemned the unchecked insecurity plaguing the state, describing kidnappings for ransom, organ harvesting, and violent farm invasions as “commonplace horrors.” He emphasized that over 50 clergy and religious figures across Ahiara, Okigwe, Orlu, and Owerri dioceses had been targeted, with Okigwe alone recording 47 abductions. “These atrocities are no longer distant headlines—they are personal tragedies,” Njoku stated, alleging perpetrators act with “increasing boldness and cruelty.”
The priests criticized security operatives for apparent paralysis, citing “lack of equipment, capacity, or political will” to protect communities. “Their failure to stem this evil is deeply troubling,” Njoku added, urging action before insecurity escalates further.
