Nigeria has seen a sharp increase in priest kidnappings in 2025, Aleteia.org reports.
Two Catholic priests were kidnapped in Nigeria on Sunday, marking a sharp escalation in violence against religious workers in the African country.
The incidents bring the total number of clergy kidnapped in Nigeria in 2025 to 12 - making it the worst first quarter on record, according to data from Aid to the Church in Need.
The increase is significant. In the same period last year, only three kidnappings were recorded, with no fatalities. In 2023, there were two kidnappings and one murder. In contrast, two clerics were already killed in 2025.
Nigeria remains the most dangerous nation for Christians. The country accounted for more than 80% of global kidnappings, killings or wrongful arrests involving priests and religious in 2025.
Nigeria was earlier this year named the world’s most dangerous place for Christianity. The report revealed that at least 50,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria over the past two decades, with hundreds of thousands more displaced due to persecution.
While some kidnappings are believed to be religiously motivated, particularly in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where intercommunal and religious tensions are high, many are part of a wider criminal enterprise. Kidnappings for ransom have become widespread.
Aid to the Church in Need has called for increased international attention to the crisis in Nigeria and is calling for continued support for affected communities.