by Antonella Prenna
Kaduna – “Catechist Victor Paul was sent to St. Joseph Parish on January 31, 2026, to begin his first pastoral ministry in the Archdiocese. He arrived together with his pregnant wife and their son. The entire community, both Catholic and Baptist, welcomed them with great joy and warmth. Upon their arrival, the women of the community organized a fraternal gathering and greeted them with a welcome song. We then prepared food, shared a meal together accompanied by our traditional drinks, and prayed that his stay and ministry among us would be peaceful, fruitful and full of blessings,” says Fr. Linus Bobai, parish priest of St. Joseph’s Parish in Kutaho, in the Archdiocese of Kaduna, located in the Kagarko Local Government Area, and sent to Fides News Agency by the Chancellor of the Archdiocese, Fr Christian Okewu Emmanuel.
Fr. Linus recounted the story of catechist Victor Paul, who was killed together with other victims after they had been abducted on February 9, 2026 .
“Victor Paul was regarded as the assistant to the priests by both the Catholic and Baptist communities. Everyone respected him. Then, on February 9, a group of armed bandits raided our community,” Fr. Linus continues. “Tragically, he, his pregnant wife and their son were among those kidnapped. That same night, some of the captives pleaded with the bandits to spare the catechist and his family, explaining that they had only just arrived and that he was their catechist. But the bandits refused. They insisted on taking them with them, saying that precisely because they were newcomers, they would take them away with them.”
“On April 5, 2026, as requested by the kidnappers, payment was made for the release of all the hostages. In reality, however, only the catechist’s wife, their son, and several other women with their children were released that day. Immediately after their release, we took them all to hospital for medical examinations. Shortly after being admitted, the catechist’s wife gave birth to a baby boy. The newborn is doing well, as is the couple’s older son, who kept asking where his father was. We then returned to our village, but we were all deeply shaken. Going through all of this has not been easy.”
“Most members of our community and parish are still profoundly affected. Victor Paul came among us to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the news of his death, together with that of the other victims who were killed in the forest, has devastated everyone. All that remained for us was to organize their burial.”
“The entire community is discouraged, but we remain united in prayer, asking God to grant us consolation and strength. As Christians, we believe that God alone knows why all this has happened. We do not wish to blame anyone; rather, we entrust everything into His hands. We pray that God will touch the hearts of those who have caused so much suffering and pain to our community.”
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