Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Henry Owen
Nigeria has been thrown into grief and national reflection following the killing of Venerable Edwin Achi, a senior Anglican priest abducted in Kaduna State, after his family paid a ransom reportedly running into millions of naira. The bandits, instead of releasing him, returned only his lifeless body, while his wife and daughter remain in captivity.
The heartbreaking development was confirmed during an emotional on-air moment involving Rufai Oseni, a prominent journalist who fought back tears while recounting the ordeal of the clergyman and his family.
According to Rufai, the family had painstakingly gathered a reduced ransom of ₦100 million, hoping it would secure Achi’s release. “They raised the money, paid the ransom, and were told to come and collect their pastor’s body,” Rufai said sombrely. “He was killed simply for being a man of God. Some say there is no religious persecution against Christians here. I say this was murder because of his faith.”
The priest, described as a humble, devoted clergyman in his sixties, was abducted from his residence in Nissi Village, Kaduna, on October 28, along with his wife and daughter. For weeks, the family negotiated under intense emotional strain, selling assets and calling on relatives, only to be met with the cruel news that Achi had been killed despite the ransom payment.
One of the most heart-wrenching details shared by Rufai was about the priest’s elderly mother. Now in her nineties and living in Delta State, she remains unaware that her son has died. “Nobody has had the courage to tell her,” Rufai said. “Imagine a mother waiting for her son to return home… and he never will.”
The incident has ignited a nationwide conversation about the increasing vulnerability of Christian clergy in northern Nigeria and what many see as targeted attacks masked as kidnapping. Thousands of Nigerians expressed solidarity with Rufai’s emotional commentary, with one widely shared response stating: “Thank you, Rufai. When pastors are killed after paying ransom, it is no longer just kidnapping. It is hatred.”
The Diocese of Kaduna, still reeling from the tragedy, has suspended its major outreach program in honour of Venerable Achi. Emotional tributes continue to pour in as preparations for his burial begin in Delta State, where he will be laid to rest.
Meanwhile, the anguish persists as his wife and daughter remain in the custody of the abductors, with church leaders, community members, and security agencies calling for urgent action to rescue them alive.
The tragedy underscores a grim reality: in many cases across Nigeria, even the payment of ransom offers no guarantee of a loved one’s safe return—highlighting the severe human toll of the nation’s prolonged insecurity crisis.
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