A wave of terror has swept through central Nigeria, marked by a series of brazen kidnappings and killings. “The kidnapping of priests is a reflection of the failure of the Nigerian state to protect its citizens,’ said Father Stan Chu Ilo in an exclusive interview with CWR. “Whether these targets are random or not, priests and pastoral agents and Christians in general are a target in Nigeria,” he added. Noting that the Nigerian state has been “hijacked” by the powerful, Ilo pointed to a fundamental failure of the government to uphold its constitutional contract with its citizens as the major contributing factor to the free fall of the Nigerian state. He pointed to a growing willingness within the Nigerian Catholic Secretariat to speak out against injustice as a positive and necessary development.

Source: CNN February 14, 2026 05:34 UTC