Armed men attacked Father Peter Kwen around midnight on November 6, 2026, as he was returning from Makurdi town. The priest of the Catholic Diocese of Gboko was left unconscious by the roadside in Benue state in central Nigeria after being ambushed by suspected Fulani militants.
Local resident Titus Kaase reported the assault to Morning Star News. The attackers injured the clergyman along the Makurdi-Zaki Biam road and abandoned him at the scene. The priest survived his injuries and received help after regaining consciousness. The attack occurred in a rural area where assaults by armed radical groups against religious leaders have become frequent.
The violence in Benue reflects the dangerous environment faced by Christians across Nigeria. According to Open Doors' 2026 World Watch List, between October 2024 and September 2025, 72 percent of Christians killed worldwide for their faith were in Nigeria, totaling 3,490 victims in the country.
Ambush on the Makurdi Highway
The attack on Father Peter Kwen highlights the daily dangers on roads throughout Nigeria's Middle Belt. The region separates the predominantly Muslim north from the largely Christian south, turning it into a frequent zone for armed raids against farming communities.
Local Christian leaders state that radicalized Fulani herdsmen carry out systematic raids to drive farmers off their land. Advancing desertification in the north forces herds southward, but armed factions leverage land disputes to enforce extremist agendas and target Christian symbols.
In addition to armed nomadic groups, jihadist organizations such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province operate in northern Nigeria. The emergence of new armed factions, such as Lakurawa in the northwest, has further heightened violence against civilians.
The Rescue of Father John Otache
Weeks before the assault on Father Kwen, another Catholic priest was targeted by extremists in the same state. Father John Inalegwu Otache, of the Diocese of Otukpo, was kidnapped on October 13, 2026, along the Otobi Amejo-Ajegbe road in Ohimini local government area.
Otache was freed after five days in captivity alongside seven other hostages during a joint security operation involving the Benue State Police Command and local vigilante groups. The eight rescued victims were taken to the university hospital in Otukpo for medical evaluation. Police arrested two suspects in connection with the abduction, according to Christianity Daily.
The chancellor of the Diocese of Otukpo, Father Joseph Itodo, confirmed the release and thanked the community for their support. Diocesan Bishop Michael Ekwoyi Apochi called on the faithful to keep praying for the hundreds of civilians who remain held by criminal groups across the country.
Why Are Christian Leaders Frequently Targeted in Nigeria?
Priests and pastors are primary targets for kidnappings because criminal groups view community leaders as opportunities to demand high ransoms or destabilize local populations. The isolation of rural parishes makes traveling along poorly patrolled roads particularly dangerous.
A joint report by the International Institute for Religious Freedom and the Observatory of Religious Freedom in Africa revealed that between October 2019 and September 2025, more than 34,000 civilians were abducted in the country. The study documented 4,590 attacks involving kidnappings during that timeframe, averaging two incidents per day.
The report also indicated that 73 percent of civilians abducted in community attacks died or disappeared during or after the raids. The final quarter of 2025 saw a 153 percent increase in abductions compared to the same period the previous year.
Other Priests Remain Missing
Despite the release of John Otache, the condition of other kidnapped clergymen remains uncertain. Father Emmanuel Ezema, of the Diocese of Zaria, was taken by armed assailants from St. Peter's Parish rectory in Rumi, Kaduna state, on December 2, 2025, and no information about his whereabouts has emerged.
Other recent cases illustrate the persistent threat. In February 2026, Father Nathaniel Asuwaye of the Diocese of Kafanchan was seized at his parish in Kaduna state and released in May. In August, a seminarian abducted from the bishop's residence in Otukpo managed to escape after two weeks in captivity.
In response to the kidnapping surge, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, retired archbishop of Abuja, publicly called on Nigerian authorities to take decisive action against violence targeting civilians. Local Christian communities continue their ministry and assist the wounded, trusting in the promise of 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 regarding the preservation of the faithful through trial.
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