ICC Note: Father Christopher Ogaga, a Nigerian Priest, was abducted on Sunday, around 10 p.m. on his way to church. This abduction is just one of many recent abductions in Nigeria, linked to the nomadic Fulani militants. A source close to Ogaga said they are requesting a $40,000 ransom for his safe return.

 09/06/2018 Nigeria (The Christian Post) – Father Christopher Ogaga, who is the priest of Emmanuel Catholic Church in the Okpe local government area of the Delta state, was kidnapped Saturday night while on his way to Warri, where he was to help another priest lead a mass. Sources close to Ogaga told the Nigeria Tribune that they believe he was kidnapped along the route from his home to Warri. The pastor was said to have left his house around 10 p.m.

Ogaga is also the principal of St. Peters Clavers College in Aghalokpe. He also helps oversee St. Luke’s Catholic Church in Oviri Okpe and St. Jude’s Catholic Church in Aghalopke

The priest’s abduction was reportedly confirmed by Muhammad Mustapha, the state commissioner or police. Mustapha told media outlets that authorities are on the search for the pastor and his kidnappers.

One source who spoke to Vanguard on the condition of anonymity explained that the abductors have reached out to the church to demand a ransom equivalent to just over $40,000. Ogaga’s abduction follows the abduction of other pastors throughout Nigeria in recent months.

Nigeria ranks as the 14th most dangerous country in the world when it comes to Christian persecution, according to Open Doors USA’s 2018 World Watch List.

Much of the violence against Christians in Nigeria as of late has come from nomadic Fulani herdsman, a great number of which are Muslim. Thousands of Christians have been killed by Fulani violence in the last year, as they are known to frequently attack farming communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.

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