A report by SB Morgan Intelligence, SBM, shows that over 39 Catholic Priest were killed, while 30 others were abducted by gunmen in 2022.

SBM, also, said that 145 attacks on Catholic priests were recorded in the year under review. The North-Central was the worst hit with 12 killings, while the North-West recorded nine deaths.

Similarly, it said the south-east and south-south recorded five deaths each, while the north-east and north-west had four deaths each, the report added.

The SBM report read:  “2022 was an awful year for the clergy. None in that group suffered more than Catholic priests, who at a point, were subjected to near-daily abductions with ransom demands set at an average of N50 million per priest.

“Although there were quite genuine fears that these abductions were targeted persecution of the Christian faith, the financial imperative in a holy abduction has somewhat eclipsed such concerns.”

Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, had in its recent reactions to the kidnap and killings of the priests, expressed concern over the spate of attacks on Christian clerics in the nation.

The association said, “The continuous killing, as well as kidnapping of Christian clerics in Nigeria, is alarming. This has to be stopped at all costs.

Nigeria is becoming a killing field where Christian clerics and its members are slaughtered like chicken.

“The Christian community must rise up and come together to put to an end this insult. They should take up arms and defend themselves legitimately.”