
Four seminarians abducted in Nigeria
FREE Catholic Classes
Four seminarians, between the ages of 18 and 23, were abducted Wednesday night from their seminary in Kaduna, in northwestern Nigeria.

Good Shepherd seminary in Kaduna Nigeria
Highlights
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
1/14/2020 (2 years ago)
Published in Africa
Keywords: NIGERIA, KADUNA, NIGERIA, MIDDLE EAST - AFRICA
Kaduna, Nigeria, (CNA) - Four seminarians, between the ages of 18 and 23, were abducted Wednesday night from their seminary in Kaduna, in northwestern Nigeria.
Pius Kanwai, 19; Peter Umenukor, 23; Stephen Amos, 23; and Michael Nnadi, 18, were taken from Good Shepherd Seminary in Kaduna, around 10:30 pm on Jan. 8 by gunmen. Police are searching for the four young men.
Nearly 270 seminarians live at Good Shepherd.
"The security situation in Nigeria is appalling", Thomas Heine-Geldern, executive president of ACN International, said Jan. 13. "Criminal gangs are further exploiting the chaotic situation and making matters still worse."
He compared the situation in Nigeria to that of Iraq prior to the Islamic State's invasion: "Already at that stage, Christians were being abducted, robbed and murdered because there was no protection by the state. This must not be allowed to happen to the Christians of Nigeria. The government must act now, before it is too late."
The gunmen, disguised in military camouflage, broke through the fence surrounding the seminarians' living quarters and began shooting sporadically. They stole laptops and phones before kidnapping the four young men.
A source in Nigeria told ACI Africa that the kidnappers made contact with family members of the seminarians Jan. 11, "but never pronounced any amount of money as ransom."
Each of the abductees were first year philosophers, sources told ACI Africa.
Good Shepherd Seminary is located just off the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria Express Way. According to AFP, the area is "notorious for criminal gangs kidnapping travelers for ransom."
The news agency said that schoolgirls and staff from a boarding school also located near the highway were kidnapped in October, and were later released.
Kidnappings of Christians in Nigeria have multiplied in recent months, a situation that has prompted Church leaders to express serious concern about the security of their members and to call on the government to prioritize the security of its citizens.
---
'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'
Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online
Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.
-
-
Saints & Angels
-
Mysteries of the Rosary
-
Saint of the Day for Monday, June 27th, 2022
-
St. Irenaeus
-
Female / Women Saints
-
Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary
-
St. Cyril of Alexandria
-
Bible
-
Saint Feast Days in June
-
Come Holy Spirit
Daily Catholic
Daily Readings for Tuesday, June 28, 2022
St. Irenaeus: Saint of the Day for Tuesday, June 28, 2022
Blessing of Food: Prayer of the Day for Tuesday, June 28, 2022
- Daily Readings for Monday, June 27, 2022
- St. Cyril of Alexandria: Saint of the Day for Monday, June 27, 2022
- Prayer for Personal Forgiveness: Prayer of the Day for Monday, June 27, 2022
To all our readers,
Please don't scroll past this. We interrupt your reading to humbly ask you to defend Catholic Online School's independence. 98% of our readers don't give; they look the other way. If you are an exceptional reader who has already donated, we sincerely thank you. If you donate just $10.00, or whatever you can, Catholic Online School could keep thriving for years. Most people donate because Catholic Online School is useful. If Catholic Online School has given you $10.00 worth of knowledge this year, take a minute to donate. Show the world that access to Catholic education matters to you. Thank you.Help Now >
Copyright 2021 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2021 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.
Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.