Anglican Priest Rev. Edwin Achi Executed in Captivity as Nigeria’s Fulani Terror Activities Escalates

Kaduna, Nigeria – November 29, 2025

Nigerians wake up every day to new heartbreaking confirmation of the country’s worsening security collapse: Ven. Edwin Achi, the Priest-in-Charge of Ebenezer Anglican Church, Unguwan Maijero, has been killed in captivity.

In the midst of relentless kidnappings, killings, and mass displacements across Nigeria, the Church of Nigeria has now formally confirmed his death.

Rev. Achi, his wife Sarah, and their daughter were abducted from Nissi village in Kaduna’s Chikun Local Government Area on October 28, 2025, after Fulani terrorists raided their home under the cover of night.

The kidnappers had demanded an astronomical ₦600 million ransom (about $415,000), a sum far beyond the reach of the cleric’s family or parish. Reports have it that an undisclosed amount was paid as ransom to the terrorists who later released photos of the deceased pastor.

A chilling photograph released by the terrorists shortly before his execution showed Rev. Achi and his wife alongside other Christian hostages, a stark reminder that this was not an isolated incident but part of a wider, escalating kidnapping crisis consuming communities across Nigeria.

The cleric’s death was confirmed by his nephew, identified on X as @Monsieur_avreel, who revealed that the terrorists executed him soon after publishing the photograph online, a tactic increasingly used to terrorize victims’ families, intensify psychological pressure, and demonstrate impunity.

His wife and daughter remain in captivity, their fate uncertain, as negotiations reportedly continue.

A Targeted Night Raid and an Impossible Ransom Demand

The abduction unfolded when Fulani terrorists last month stormed the priest’s residence in Nissi Community, dragging the family into the surrounding bush, actions reconciled to the ongoing Christian Genocide in the country. Hours later, they contacted relatives with their staggering demand: ₦600 million for the family’s release.

Despite the severity of the crime and public appeals for intervention, residents say no meaningful rescue effort was launched by security forces throughout the family’s month-long captivity.

A Country Failing Its Most Basic Duty: Protect Life

The killing of Ven. Achi has become yet another symbol of Nigeria’s deepening insecurity and the state’s diminishing capacity, or willingness, to defend its own citizens.

Human rights observers, civil society groups, and clergy leaders warn that incessant killings and mass abductions now occur with alarming frequency, with perpetrators almost never brought to justice. Entire communities are being emptied by violence, while families of victims are left to negotiate with terrorists alone.

Analysts stress that this is no longer merely a security breakdown but a full-blown human rights crisis of genocidal proportion, disproportionately affecting Christian communities especially in the country’s Middle Belt and northern regions.

Nigeria’s federal and state governments are increasingly seen as falling far short of their constitutional obligation to protect life, guarantee safety, and ensure meaningful accountability.

Communities in Shock, Church in Mourning

The Anglican Communion in Kaduna has entered a period of deep mourning, describing Ven. Achi as a dedicated servant of God whose only “crime” was ministering as a Christian leader in one of the most volatile regions of the country.

Parishioners recall him as a peacemaker who spent years advocating for unity and coexistence, only to be killed in the most senseless and brutal manner.

Local residents expressed despair, noting that priests, pastors, and Christian villagers have become routine targets, with attacks often met by silence, deflection, or denial from authorities.

Mounting Pressure on Authorities

With outrage spreading across Nigeria, citizens are demanding an immediate rescue operation for Sarah Achi and her daughter, a transparent investigation into Ven. Achi’s killing, the arrest and prosecution of security officials whose negligence or complicity enables such crimes, and a coherent, nationwide approach to dismantling the Fulani terrorist networks devastating rural communities.

Nigeria’s ongoing Christian genocide appears to have entered a deadlier chapter, one in which even clergy, long seen as moral anchors and community stabilizers, are now treated as high-value targets worth more than oil.

Ven. Edwin Achi leaves behind a grieving family, a shattered congregation, and a nation asking, once again, how many more must die before decisive action is taken.