The Catholic Church in Nigeria is mourning the death of Father Mathew Eya, who was killed on Sept. 19 while returning to his parish of St. Charles in Eha-Ndiagu, Enugu State.
His death comes amid a surge in kidnappings and killings of clergy that have raised fears of systematic persecution of Christians.According to witnesses, attackers on a motorcycle ambushed Father Eya’s car near a hospital construction site. They first fired at his tires to stop the vehicle before shooting him at close range. The Enugu State government condemned the killing as “cowardly” and “cold-blooded” and offered a reward of $6,700 for information leading to the arrest of those responsible.“We will not spare any resources within our reach, including technology and credible intelligence, to track down the criminals and defeat the remnant agents of evil in the state,” communications officer Malachy Agbo said in a Sept.
20 statement. Police later confirmed that 38 suspects had been arrested in connection with the case.The violence comes just days after the safe release of another Catholic priest, Father Wilfred Ezeamba of St. Paul Parish in Agaliga-Efabo, Kogi State.
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He was abducted on Sept. 12 and freed on Sept. 16, along with two parishioners who had been taken with him.
“We are overjoyed to have our priest back with us,” said parishioner Grace Idoko in an interview with Africa Independent Television. “His abduction left us in fear, but God has answered our prayers.”The Diocese of Idah expressed gratitude for his safe return. “We thank God Almighty for his mercy and the security agencies for their efforts.
We also appreciate the prayers and support of the faithful during this trying time,” the diocese said in a statement. Police reported that two suspects had been arrested in connection with the kidnapping. Father Ezeamba is now receiving medical care and counseling.Activists say the recent attacks highlight a growing pattern of Christian persecution in Nigeria.
Emeka Umeagbalasi, director of the Catholic-inspired NGO Intersociety, questioned the government’s handling of investigations. If truly he was assassinated by people on a motorbike, why arrest up to 38 people?” he asked. He suggested Fulani herders may have been behind the killing, adding that “Jihadist Fulani herdsmen have been running amok in Enugu.”Statistics from Nigeria’s bishops’ conference show that 145 priests have been kidnapped in the country over the past decade, with several killed.
Umeagbalasi told OSV News that the figure may be higher, claiming that 250 Catholic priests and at least 350 clerics from other denominations have been abducted since 2015.Kidnappings have also become a profitable enterprise in Nigeria. Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto described the phenomenon as “a criminal industrial complex.” A 2024 report by SBM Intelligence found that between July 2023 and June 2024, kidnappers demanded $32 million in ransom for 7,568 abducted people. Although the amounts actually paid were often less, experts say the business remains lucrative.Umeagbalasi argued that the targeting of priests and Christian communities goes beyond financial gain.
He said it amounts to a genocidal campaign by jihadists determined to erase Christianity from Nigeria. Intersociety’s latest report, published in August, said an average of 32 Christians are killed in the country every day. The report estimated that 7,000 Christians were killed in the first 220 days of 2025 alone, and that since 2009, at least 185,000 people including 125,000 Christians and 60,000 moderate Muslims have been killed in religiously motivated violence.“If the trend continues, Christianity could be wiped out from Nigeria by 2075,” Umeagbalasi warned.
His death comes amid a surge in kidnappings and killings of clergy that have raised fears of systematic persecution of Christians. According to witnesses, attackers on a motorcycle ambushed Father Eya’s car near a hospital construction site. The Enugu State government condemned the killing as “cowardly” and “cold-blooded” and offered a reward of $6,700 for information leading to the arrest of those responsible.
“We will not spare any resources within our reach, including technology and credible intelligence, to track down the criminals and defeat the remnant agents of evil in the state,” communications officer Malachy Agbo said in a Sept. Police later confirmed that 38 suspects had been arrested in connection with the case. The violence comes just days after the safe release of another Catholic priest, Father Wilfred Ezeamba of St.
Father Ezeamba is now receiving medical care and counseling. Activists say the recent attacks highlight a growing pattern of Christian persecution in Nigeria. Umeagbalasi told OSV News that the figure may be higher, claiming that 250 Catholic priests and at least 350 clerics from other denominations have been abducted since 2015.
Kidnappings have also become a profitable enterprise in Nigeria. Although the amounts actually paid were often less, experts say the business remains lucrative. Umeagbalasi argued that the targeting of priests and Christian communities goes beyond financial gain.
The report estimated that 7,000 Christians were killed in the first 220 days of 2025 alone, and that since 2009, at least 185,000 people including 125,000 Christians and 60,000 moderate Muslims have been killed in religiously motivated violence. “If the trend continues, Christianity could be wiped out from Nigeria by 2075,” Umeagbalasi warned.
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