On Sunday, 2 August 2026, gunmen attacked the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Enugu State, kidnapping two people.
In a video circulating online, a visibly upset churchgoer shares, “The kidnappers had AK-47. But we retreated because we had no weapons. Should we pursue armed kidnappers empty-handed?”.
A man who was in the church during the attack, only identified as Christopher, shares that the “kidnappers initially abducted the seminarian, catechist, and another person in the church. But after they moved with the victims for a few minutes, the kidnappers asked the catechist to go back and then entered the bush with the seminarian and the other worshipper.”
The seminarian is Lawrence Chidera Igbo, and the other worshipper is simply identified as Emmanuel.
The man in the online video shares, “We no longer feel safe in our community because of kidnappers.”
Confirming the incident in a statement on Sunday, the Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, said a joint security team comprising police operatives, Forest Guards, and members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group had launched an intensive operation to track down the attackers.
At this time it is unclear who the attackers are or their motives.
After Sunday’s attack, local women took to the street to protest against the rise of insecurity in the area.
Speaking on behalf of the protesting mothers, a spokesperson issued an impassioned plea: “Chairman of Udi LGA, Hyginus Agu, come and help us, because there’s no other place we can run to. Our children have been kidnapped, and we no longer sleep at night because of kidnappers. Help us because we don’t have any other place to run to.”
She continued: “Senator Osita Ngwu representing Enugu West, come and help us. Insecurity is killing us here. Our children are no longer going out as they used to. Look at now, while on holiday, they came and kidnapped them inside the church. Two of our members were taken into captivity.”
Enugu State is in southeastern Nigeria, situated between Benue and Kogi State, which have been plagued by Fulani extremist violence.
Most of northern Nigeria has been inundated by insecurity. Christians in the north are especially vulnerable, and most violence against Christians is carried out by Muslim Fulani extremists and “bandits” of Fulani descent, more than by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) combined. In recent years, violence has increased and spilled into southern states.
The brazen attack on St. Joseph Catholic Church in Enugu State shows that insecurity is slowly spreading further south and that Christians and places of worship remain targets.
Please pray:
- Pray for seminarian Lawrence Chidera Igbo and the other worshipper, Emmanuel, who remain with the kidnapper. Pray they will experience God’s presence and that they will be rescued or released soon.
- Pray that the State Police will make every effort to secure the release of these two people and protect all citizens against future attacks.
- Pray for an end to the insecurity in northern Nigeria, which is spreading throughout the rest of the country.
- Pray for the Church throughout Nigeria to be beacons of Jesus. “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12a)
Stay updated with the latest prayer requests from the persecuted church.
